Right image – Wikimedia Commons: Official portrait of Tonia Antoniazzi
Transport for London (TfL) has blocked pro-abortion adverts advocating for abortion decriminalisation and bringing the police into “disrepute” for enforcing the law.
The blocked British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) adverts urge citizens to lobby MPs to vote for abortion decriminalisation.
However, a TfL spokesperson said: “The proposed advertisement did not comply with TfL advertising policy because it made negative references about the police.”
The BPAS adverts, which were approved by the Advertising Standards Authority, had already appeared elsewhere in the UK, citing the cases of women investigated by police for alleged or potential illegal abortions.
Two amendments to the government’s crime and policing bill have been tabled that, if passed, would effectively decriminalise all abortion up to birth.
Following TfL’s rejection of the adverts, its head of commercial media, Chris Reader, said: “The reason for the rejection is that the proposed advertisement makes serious allegations about the police.
“The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) is a member of the GLA group and one of its functions is to hold the Metropolitan police service (MPS) commissioner to account for the police service in London…
“Because Mopac’s functions in respect of the MPS are to some extent regulatory… [the] nature of the copy could bring Mopac into disrepute, given its responsibilities in relation to the MPS.”
Defending the ads, a BPAS spokesperson claimed that it “is an accurate representation of real women’s experiences. It is intentionally simple, to the point, with a clear democratic call to action.”
Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, responsible for one of the current decriminalisation amendments, said that TfL’s decision was part of an attempt to “silence desperate women’s voices and dodge accountability…
“The police cannot be trusted with abortion law – nor can the CPS or the wider criminal justice system.”
SPUC has pointed out that the rise in investigations, arrests and prosecutions of alleged illegal abortions is a result of the pills-by-post scheme, allowing women to obtain abortion pills without having an in-person consultation.
The scheme has been slammed for also making it easy for coercive partners to be posted pills under false pretences.
DIY abortion, which is supported by BPAS and other pro-abortion groups, was introduced during lockdown, and later was made permanent by MPs.
At a recent parliamentary event hosted by SPUC, Kevin Duffy presented the findings of a project devised to see how easily abortion pills can be obtained from providers over the phone. A team of 26 volunteers made a total of 85 phone calls that provided fake information and profiles. Pills were acquired successfully in every case.
Amendments to the government’s crime and policing bill are currently seeking to remove women from “criminal law related to abortion”, allowing abortion up to birth in all instances, including sex-selective abortion.
If you’re reading this and haven’t yet donated to SPUC, please consider helping now. Thank You!
