Alive and Kicking launches major anti-abortion campaign

Alive and Kicking, a powerful alliance of eleven organisations seeking to reduce the annual toll of 200,000 abortions a year in the UK, has launched a major campaign on abortion.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, which is very soon to be debated in the House of Commons, provides the first opportunity in eighteen years for MPs to vote on amendments to the abortion law.

The new Alive and Kicking website (www.aliveandkickingcampaign.org) contains extensive data on MPs' past voting records and future voting intentions on abortion, enabling supporters to know exactly where their parliamentary representatives stand on the amendments that the Alliance will be promoting.

Supporters will also be encouraged to gather signatures for an online petition to be presented to the Prime Minister, with a target goal of at least 100,000 signatories.

"The biggest battle since the abortion law was passed in 1967 lies ahead," said Julia Millington of Alive and Kicking. "With abortion rarely off the front pages of the national press, opinion amongst the public, politicians and medical profession has changed and people are now beginning to recognise the true extent of the abortion tragedy."

Alive and Kicking is supporting amendments to three aspects of the abortion law, dealing with time limits, disability discrimination and informed consent.

The coalition is specifically seeking a substantial reduction of the 24-week upper limit for the abortion of healthy babies, an end to the discriminatory provision allowing abortion of disabled babies up to birth, and an informed consent law requiring doctors to provide comprehensive evidence-based information on the risks associated with abortion and the availability of positives alternatives for those needing help.

"With 63% of MPs, 68% of the public (2) and 65% of GPs (3) supporting a reduction in the 24-week abortion time limit we are confident that Parliament will vote in favour of a positive change to the abortion law," said Ms Millington.

She said that allowing abortion up to the moment of birth for babies with disability is "totally at odds with other legislation on disability discrimination".

"We need to end this discrimination against unborn babies with special needs who would be given the very best medicine we have to offer if they were outside the womb," she said.

"The pro-abortion lobby, with their mantra, 'a woman's right to choose', fail to acknowledge that many women who 'choose' abortion do so only because they feel that they have no other choice.

"At the very least, we believe that women should be given real choice and equipped with all the information and support necessary to enable them to make a fully informed decision."