Today in Parliament, I asked Theresa May to reform the law governing abortion so that women in Northern Ireland can have access to safe medical procedures without being criminalised.She refused.And to make matters worse, I believe that her response may be misleading. I asked the Prime Minister to support Diana Johnson’s legislation that would make abortion for everybody in the UK a health matter, rather than being subject to criminal justice legislation. The Prime Minister replied that the powers to permit abortion in Northern Ireland are devolved. Yet, as I understand it, the legislation which criminalises abortion is the Offences Against the Person Act (1861), which falls within Westminster’s remit.The Prime Minister’s stated desire to correct injustice rings hollow when she refuses to consider the powers at her disposal to correct inequality between women living in different parts of the UK.Around the world, a woman’s rights to choose and to access abortion services is being eroded. In the US, two states have recently passed legislation which will make safe and legal terminations practically impossible, even if the woman was raped. People across Bristol West are rightly outraged by this. They are also concerned that this injustice also exists in our own country. I am deeply saddened by this injustice. I will look into this further, and continue to campaign for change.

Posted by Thangam Debbonaire MP for Bristol West on Wednesday, May 22, 2019