‘Abortion up to birth – a radical and disturbing proposal’

Abortion up to birth “should have no place in a civilised society”, a prominent pro-life Peer has warned.

Lord Alton of Liverpool, who due to ill health was unable to attend the recent House of Lords debate on the Crime and Policing Bill, made the remarks in a planned speech against Tonia Antoniazzi’s Clause 191. This clause, which allows a woman to kill her unborn baby at any stage of pregnancy without sanction, was passed by MPs in June with only 46 minutes of debate.

He explained: “This is radical and disturbing, a proposal which would endanger women by removing any legal deterrent against performing dangerous late-term abortions at home and likely lead to an increase in viable babies’ lives being ended.”

‘Both lives matter’

Lord Alton backed Baroness Monckton MBE’s amendment to axe the clause from the Bill.

He stated: “We need to wake people up to what is being proposed and the cynical way in which it has been introduced into a Government Bill. If we fail to raise our voices now, if we fail to rouse the conscience of the nation, both women and unborn babies will be the victims. Both lives matter and we should be unhesitating in saying so.

“We are a civilised country – not a barbaric one. Introducing abortion up to birth should have no place in a civilised society. It is abhorrent.”

‘Slippery slope’

During the House of Lords debate earlier this month, a series of Peers heavily criticised the attempt to decriminalise abortion for women.

Lord Frost said: “It is foreseeable that, in practice, this will make abortions up to birth more common, endanger more women because of the medical risks of termination after 24 weeks, and create pressure for a similar decriminalisation for medical practitioners themselves.

“People will argue, ‘How can it be illegal for a doctor to help with something that is not in itself illegal?’ or they will say that doctors need to be able to perform late-term abortions to avoid the risks of terminations at home. It is the beginning of a slippery slope.”

In the UK, abortion is currently permitted for most reasons up to 24 weeks, and up to birth if the unborn child is deemed to have a disability or severe health condition, or the mother’s health is at serious risk.