Pro-lifers warn over Howard abortion proposal
-14/02/05
The pro-life group the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has said it is ‘very wary’ of a statement at the weekend by Tory Leader Mr Michael Howard, the leader of the Conservative Party, suggesting a reduction in the time limit for some abortions from 24 weeks to 20.
Current rules allowing procedures, for medical reasons, until the 24th week of pregnancy are “tantamount to abortion on demand”, he told Cosmopolitan magazine.
More than 180,000 women in England and Wales had abortions last year, of which fewer than 1% were carried out between 22 and 24 weeks.
In the Cosmopolitan interview, reported in the Observer newspaper, Mr Howard said: “I believe abortion should be available to everyone, but the law should be changed.
“In the past I voted for a restriction to 22 weeks and I would be prepared to go down to 20.”
Paul Tully, SPUC General Secretary, said: “Any reduction in the number of abortions would be welcome. However, reducing time limits doesn’t necessarily mean reducing abortions. The last time MPs thought they had a chance to reduce the time limit, they ended up widening the law, including the legalisation of abortion up to birth disabled babies and other cases too. Abortions in Britain have continued to rise to record levels since. One must consider carefully what effect any
given proposal will have.
“Last year Lord [David] Steel suggested a similar adjustment in the time limit, but also proposed making abortion more readily available in the early months of pregnancy – when the vast majority of abortions already occur. This proposal was in fact a Trojan horse designed to enshrine a right to abortion for the first time in British law. Enshrining abortion as a fundamental legal and human right is the number one goal of the pro-abortion lobby.
“At the forthcoming election, voters need to establish the commitment of their individual candidates, rather than the parties, on these issues. All the main parties claim to allow a free vote on abortion, the question is: which candidates commit themselves to vote against killing unborn babies.”
Tony Blair said there were no plans to change the law but “debate would continue” on the “difficult issue”.
The Family Planning Association says a reduction would particularly affect young women who often seek help later.
All three main parties offer a free vote on abortion and Mr Howard stressed this was his personal view.
Shadow home secretary David Davis said he understood Mr Howard had been signalling that a Conservative government would allow a Commons vote on the issue.
Tony Blair and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy also gave their views during interviews, conducted as part of the Cosmopolitan magazine’s “High Heeled Vote” campaign.
Mr Blair said it was a “difficult issue”.
“However, much I dislike the idea of abortion, you should not criminalise a woman who, in very difficult circumstances, makes that choice.
“Obviously there is a time beyond which you can’t have an abortion, and we have no plans to change that although the debate will continue.”
Mr Kennedy said he had previously voted for a 22-week limit but medical advances mean “I don’t know what I would do now”.
Anne Weyman, chief executive of the Family Planning Association, said: “Young women make up a high percentage of late abortions: they often just don’t come forward.
“They hope its not true, or might have irregular periods if they are young, so they may not be sure they are pregnant.
“There are also issues around older women who are peri-menopausal and may think there’s no chance they are going to be pregnant.”
She added: “What is the benefit to women, or to the potential child, of forcing a woman to have a baby?”