Nigel Farage: UK abortion limit is ‘utterly ludicrous’ and should be reduced

Nigel Farage has branded the UK’s abortion law “totally out of date” and says the abortion limit should be reduced to match viability.

The Reform Party leader said it is “utterly ludicrous” that abortion is allowed at 24 weeks, despite the fact that babies born just before 24 weeks often survive.

MPs are expected to vote in the coming months on further weakening the law by decriminalising abortion up to birth. This would make it impossible to prosecute a mother who unlawfully ends the life of her unborn baby.

‘Move heaven and earth’

Farage said: “If a child is born prematurely at 22 weeks, your local hospital will move heaven and earth and probably succeed in that child surviving and going on and living a normal life”.

He added that allowing abortion at the same stage is “an inconsistency in the law”, stating: “I think our current situation on this is irrational”.

Despite not being against abortion in principle, he added: “I think it’s ludicrous, utterly ludicrous that we can allow abortion up to 24 weeks.”

Putting lives in danger

Labour MPs Tonia Antoniazzi and Stella Creasy have each said they will put forward amendments to decriminalise abortion altogether through the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament.

Creasy has made clear she not only wants to decriminalise it, but wants to make abortion a ‘human right’: “Other countries have enshrined a human right to access abortion – doing that here and writing this right into law for the first time ever could help prevent any rollback in rights and provide a future for ensuring everyone can access a safe and legal abortion if they choose to do so.”

Tory MP Neil O’Brien warned that further liberalising abortion law “could drive more women to attempt late-term, at-home abortions well beyond our 24-week abortion time limit, needlessly putting their lives in danger”.