Alithea Williams, blogpost 

For politics nerds like me, this has been a thrilling week -  a Prime Minister out, a new Prime Minister in, and a whole evening of new Cabinet posts being announced – all with the usual excitement of the return of MPs to Westminster after the summer recess. But what does this new Government mean for the pro-life lobby, and what can we expect in the weeks ahead?

Hope for pro-life progress

Firstly, I’m sure many of you will have seen that there’s already been much handwringing in the media over the appointment of Dr Thérèse Coffey as Health Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister. Within hours of the announcement, the BBC was happily parroting BPAS’ view that her appointment was "deeply concerning" because of her record on abortion. (If you want to submit a complaint against the BBC for their deeply biased reporting, you can do so here). While characterising voting against making DIY abortion permanent as a pro-life stance is deeply misleading (many people across the spectrum on abortion voted against it on safety grounds), Dr Coffey does indeed have an excellent voting record on life issues. I wouldn’t expect any sudden sweeping changes on abortion law, but having a Health Secretary who recognises the value of human life at both ends can only be a good thing!

While Health is probably the main Government Department in terms of pro-life issues, the Home Office is also important – it is this ministry that is lobbied to introduce buffer zones (and has so far rejected them). The appointment of Suella Braverman as Home Secretary – a free speech advocate with a good voting record on abortion – therefore gives some cause for hope on this issue.

It is also good to see a number of other pro-life MPs given big jobs, such as Jacob Rees-Mogg as Business Secretary and Michelle Donelan as Culture Secretary.

Remaining vigilant 

Of course, it is not all good news. Brendan Lewis, who had been relentlessly pursuing the imposition of abortion on Northern Ireland in his last role, is now Justice Secretary. However, his replacement in the NI office, Chris Heaton-Harris, appears to be more moderate, and can scarcely fail to be an improvement. It is also promising that Steve Baker, a known pro-lifer, has been appointed as a junior minister in the NIO.

In addition, the sting of Mr Lewis’ appointment is somewhat lessened by the news that the Bill of Rights, which he would have oversight of, and which pro-abortion advocates were planning to hijack, has been scrapped. The possibility of an amendment to this Bill to make abortion a human right was a major concern going into the new Parliamentary term, so this news is a welcome relief. We must remain vigilant, however, as it is only a matter of time before pro-abortion MPs find another Bill to try and tack their extreme agenda onto.

Continuing to push our pro-active campaigns 

This agenda is sure to include a push to decriminalise abortion and allow it up to birth, for any reason. There has been a spate of articles in the media recently where abortion providers argue that decriminalisation is needed to remove any consequences for abortions happening even after 30 weeks of pregnancy (often as a result of those very providers sending women abortion pills by post well over the legal limit).

Much will now depend on the new Prime Minister’s legislative agenda. We will, of course, keep you updated on any political developments. We will also continue to push our proactive campaigns, including fighting against abortion coercion and for the right to express the pro-life view in public.