Pro-life campaigners are accusing MPs who voted to impose radical new abortion regulations on Northern Ireland of “a gross abuse of power”.
SPUC says that it will never accept the legislation and has vowed to continue its campaign to repeal the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act which decriminalised abortion in the Province. On Wednesday, the House of Commons approved regulations, which critics argue permit abortion virtually on demand during the first six months of pregnancy and, in some cases, up to birth. Speaking after MPs voted by 253 to 136 to back the London Government’s regulations, Liam Gibson, SPUC’s Northern Ireland political officer said:
“The right to life is a God-given right shared by every member of the human family. No government, no Parliament and no head of State has the authority to take away this right. Any piece of legislation which permits the killing of innocent children is illegitimate. An unjust law is no law at all.
“Today’s vote in the House of Commons was the final act in a gross abuse of power which has been unprecedented in recent times. By forcing the most barbaric abortion regime in Europe on Northern Ireland, Westminster has shown its complete contempt for the people of the Province, our elected representatives as well as the Constitutional settlement guaranteed by the Belfast Agreement.
“This vote, however, is not the end of the matter. Now that the abortion industry has been allowed to dictate the law in Northern Ireland, it will move on to the decriminalisation of abortion in England, Wales and Scotland. Last year there were 209,519 abortions in England and Wales, the highest number since the passage of the Abortion Act in 1967. Yet, abortion advocates are still not satisfied,” said Mr Gibson.
“Nor will the pro-life movement ever accept the killing of innocent children. We will never rest until this ruthless and illegitimate legislation is overturned. Abortion is the greatest destroyer of human life in the world today and we will never give up until this evil is brought to an end.”