Northern Ireland pro-life groups say no to Abortion Act

Representatives from major pro-life groups in Northern Ireland are in London on Tuesday to present a petition to 10 Downing Street against the extension of the Abortion Act.

They will be lead by Bernadette Smyth who coordinated Rally for Life outside Stormont on Saturday. Pro-life coalition Alive and Kicking is supporting the groups during their Downing Street visit.

Thousands took part in Rally for Life to protest proposals to extend abortion laws to Northern Ireland. The Abortion Act 1967 does not apply to Northern Ireland, but pro-choice MPs in Westminster want to extend its provisions to include Northern Ireland under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology, which will be debated in Parliament on Wednesday.

Jeffrey Donaldson joined in the rally. He said, "Our opponents say that this issue is about equality. Well, where is the equality for the people of Northern Ireland when they can have no say over legislation that they don't want?

"The Good Friday Agreement, the Belfast Agreement says that all legislation in Northern Ireland must have public consultation. There must be an impact equality assessment. Where is the public consultation?

"If Westminster imposes the Abortion Act, as a minister in the Northern Ireland government I will not implement that law."

Iris Robinson also attended Rally for Life. "Abortion in Northern Ireland? Never, never, never," she commented. "Ulster says no to abortion. We will not be silenced."

She said the high turnout at Rally for Life "shows the majority in Northern Ireland do not want abortion to be socially acceptable".

"In 2006 98 per cent of Abortions in England and Wales were for social reasons. Only 0.4 per cent was for a risk to the life of the mother. Abortion at any stage of pregnancy is the taking of a human life ... A majority of people must have the moral conviction to say not in my name."