Scots show support for protecting the unborn

Over 70 per cent of people back current laws on abortion or want to see protections for unborn children strengthened, a new poll of Scottish adults reveals.

The research showed that 48 per cent of Scots were in favour of keeping the current 24-week limit, with 24 per cent saying they were in favour of lowering it.

And 5 per cent told pollsters they supported protecting unborn life in all situations, barring an emergency.

Support from younger people

Among under 24-year-olds, 55 per cent want the law to remain the same, while 11 per cent back a reduced abortion limit. A fifth support raising the limit.

At present, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks in Britain on several grounds, and allowed up to birth where the unborn child is disabled.

John Deighan, Chief Executive of SPUC Scotland, called the abortion lobby’s attempts to turn the issue into a debate about autonomy “a wilful blindness that is damaging women”.

The YouGov poll of over 1,000 people was conducted for The Times newspaper.

BPAS campaign

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), one of the UK’s biggest abortion providers, is campaigning to allow abortion up to birth for any reason.

The group wants abortion to be completely decriminalised and calls for the removal of two sections of the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act.

BPAS has previously claimed that abortion is safer than giving birth and is a “normal part of life”.

Five-year high

Last month, statistics revealed a five-year high for the number of abortions in Scotland.

There were 12,212 abortions in 2017, 106 more than the year before.

Figures showed that abortion rates in the most deprived areas were twice that of more affluent areas.

Women aged 20-24 accounted for more abortions than any other age group at 28.6 per cent of the total.

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