Christians have united in lamenting Parliament’s decision to decriminalise abortion up to the point of birth, a move that will ensure Britain has the most permissive abortion laws in Europe.
Previously abortion was legal up to 24 weeks into a pregnancy, although the vast majority of abortions take place well before that point.
March for Life UK held a vigil outside Parliament during the debate, urging MPs to reject the proposals. After the vote in favour, the organisation called the result "horrific" and said it would "effectively legalise abortion".
The Christian Institute’s Director, Ciarán Kelly, described Parliament’s decision as “deplorable”.
He said: “An unbearably large number of babies — more than ten million — have been killed in Britain since the passing of the 1967 Abortion Act. Now MPs have voted to ditch one of the few remaining safeguards protecting the unborn.
“They have done so with little or no regard for the welfare of expectant mothers. DIY abortions, at home, late in pregnancy, dramatically increase the likelihood of complications endangering women’s health.”
Writing on X, Peter Lynas, the UK director of the Evangelical Alliance, said, “This vote paves the way for sex selective abortion up till birth. The Justice Secretary is right to call it extreme. Few realise that we already offer some of the least protections to the unborn - and are now going to remove those.”
His sentiments were echoed by campaign group Both Lives Matter, which said, “This is not a victory for women – it is a tragic failure. The purpose of abortion law is to protect and support both lives in every pregnancy from toxic substances or dangerous operations.”
By removing any criminal penalties for abortion beyond 24 weeks, the government would be incentivising back-street abortions and putting women at greater risk, they said.
These concerns were shared by the Roman Catholic Archbishop John Sherrington, who said his Church was “deeply alarmed by this decision".
"Our alarm arises from our compassion for both mothers and unborn babies," he said.
The archbishop added that by removing legal penalties there would be more incentive to carry out abortions at home or without professional medical assistance.
