Image: CitizenGo
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) is currently in the process of instructing solicitors, in light of the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) failure to reinstate our coerced abortion fringe event at their conference, after they cancelled it with less than a week to go.
SPUC was due to be holding a fringe event at the upcoming SNP autumn conference, on the theme of coerced abortion. Titled, No Law to Protect Her: The Reality of Coerced Abortion, the event planned to shed light on the fact that there is no specific criminal offence for men who coerce women into having abortions. However, we learnt on Sunday 11th October that the SNP had cancelled our event, a mere six days out from when it was due to take place.
In response to this eleventh hour cancellation, SPUC’s Chief Executive, John Deighan, sent a letter to SNP Chief Executive, Callum McCaig, demanding the reinstatement of our fringe event. Whilst we received a response from Mr McCaig, the response simply reiterated that our event had indeed been cancelled and that the Party’s decision hadn’t changed. As such, SPUC is now in the process of instructing solicitors.
In the days since the cancellation of our event, we have seen vocal support for the decision to cancel from SNP MSPs, including Emma Roddick, MSP for Inverness and Nairn. As you can see in the social post below, Roddick even went as far as to say, “SPUC has no place at SNP conference”.
In addition, Karen Adam, SNP MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, also signalled her support for the cancellation of SPUC’s event, with both Roddick and Adam backing a resolution to get the event cancelled.
It should be noted, however, that Stephen Kerr, Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife, did heartedly condemn the cancellation of our event in the below social post. SPUC is grateful for his support in this regard.
SPUC Comment
Commenting on the latest developments, SPUC’s Chief Executive, John Deighan, had the following to say:
“The SNP might have hoped that they could keep this story under the radar and face no pushback from SPUC. But what will be abundantly clear to them now is that SPUC is not simply accepting this and walking away.
“Studies suggest coerced abortion is prevalent, and even the UN’s Special Rapporteur for Violence against Women and Girls has recently called for its criminalisation. That the SNP don’t want to even hear about it, therefore, is particularly telling. I encourage all supporters who can to join SPUC at our demonstration outside the SNP conference this coming Saturday.”
Please do join SPUC this Saturday 17th October outside the SNP conference venue to protest the cancellation, and make the reality of coerced abortion a little clearer to passing delegates and even MSPs. You can register your intent to join us here.
