It was a mixed night for pro-life MPs, many of whom lost their seats in the 2024 General Election, held on 4 July, with Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party winning a large majority in Parliament.
Familiar pro-life MPs who lost their seats include Fiona Bruce, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Chris Green, Caroline Ansell, Liam Fox and Miriam Cates. Ian Paisley of the DUP also lost out in Northern Ireland in the seat held by his family for 54 years.
Sir Liam Fox, who was campaigning in Parliament to stop the abortion of unborn babies with Down’s syndrome up to birth, also lost his seat.
However, Carla Lockhart, the leader of the All Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, as well as Danny Kruger who heads the APPG on Dying Well, were returned to Parliament. Veteran pro-life MPs Sir Edward Leigh and Sir Ian Duncan Smith also won.
Pro-abortion MPs Diana Johnson, Stella Creasy and Jess Phillips won in their respective constituencies.
The SNP, which had one of the most pro-abortion manifestos, performed poorly in Scotland and lost most of its seats.
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “The good news is that the unborn still have a voice in Parliament, though the number of pro-life MPs has been reduced. However, the intake of so many potentially pro-abortion MPs is of deep concern and should not be underestimated.
“The result of this election leaves the pro-life movement with fewer allies in Westminster at a time when abortion ideologues are pressing home their attack on the unborn. The prospect of assisted suicide legislation being tabled is also a very real threat.
“It’s important to remember that pro-abortion policy is far from popular, as we have seen in Scotland with the SNP whose extremism on this issue has been exposed in recent months.
“SPUC will respond further to this seismic shift in UK politics in the coming weeks. It’s more important than ever before that we stand fast and not lose the will to fight for the right to life of unborn babies in the UK.”
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