Over three-quarters of respondents to a consultation said they oppose buffer zones around abortion facilities in Scotland. SPUC has called on Scottish MSPs to respect the democratic will of the Scottish people.
A Scottish consultation on Gillian MacKay MSP’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill received nearly 6,000 responses, the majority of which opposed the Bill.
4,517 (77.13%) respondents disagreed with the statement, “Do you agree with the overall purpose of this Bill?”. Only 21.99% of respondents agreed, while 0.68% partially agreed.
A Savanta ComRes poll undertaken in 2021 also found that just 30% of Scots were in favour of buffer zones.
MacKay’s Bill proposes to impose buffer zones of 150 metres outlawing all pro-life activity around abortion facilities in Scotland, which could also criminalise silent prayer.
This week, a Holyrood committee of cross-party MSPs backed the Bill after hearing views for and against the proposed law, which SPUC opposes.
The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee stated in its report that the Bill is “proportionate” in spite of “the restrictions the Bill imposes on those human rights as set out in Articles 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights”, including the rights to freedom of thought, religion, expression and assembly.
No crime has been recorded at pro-life vigils in Scotland, as confirmed by Police Scotland and a study confirming the “silent” nature of such activity.
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “Despite overwhelming public opposition, MSPs are prioritising abortion ideology over the will and human rights of the people they’re elected to represent. This is a sickening dereliction of duty.
“Public opinion cannot be so easily swayed by media pro-abortion propaganda that falsely portrays pro-life vigils as intimidating and abusive. In reality, these vigils seek to offer women in crisis pregnancies a way out of abortion.
“There is something profoundly wrong when a nation outlaws the saving of unborn lives. SPUC calls on MSPs to reject this Bill for the sake of all Scots.”
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