A Labour MP has suggested legalising abortion up to the point of birth, an extremely controversial move that could upset the British consensus on the issue.
While in the USA abortion is a hotly debated political topic, with political activists on both sides making every effort to drag the law in the direction they favour, in Britain the political classes generally agree that the issue has been decided.
That consensus currently states that abortion up to 24 weeks is acceptable, but after that point it is a crime.
While this consensus does mean that the pro-life position in Britain has made little progress, it also means that pro-abortion activists generally refrain from the kinds of demands seen by their American counterparts, such as abortion up to (and even sometimes after) the point of birth.
Now however, Tonia Antoniazzi, Labour MP for Glower, has moved to upset that balance by tabling an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill that would lead to the complete decriminalisation of abortion in England and Wales.
Antoniazzi’s proposal would also remove legal penalties for women who self-administer abortions.
Catherine Robinson, of Right To Life UK, said, “This would permit abortion up to birth, even for reasons such as the sex of the baby ... It removes all legal safeguards and protections for the unborn child.”
Research by ComRes has previously suggested that only one per cent of women support abortion at any point in a pregnancy, with 70 per cent suggesting that the current 24 week limit is too generous and should be reduced to 20 weeks.
The number of abortions has risen sharply in England and Wales in the last 10 years. From 2012 to 2016 the figure was solid at around 185,000 per year. By 2019 however this figure had risen sharply to over 210,000 per year and then rose sharper still, reaching over 250,00 in 2022.
