Campaigners in support of a woman’s right to choose expressed concern at the apparent decision by Conservative Party leader David Cameron to support attacks on women’s rights to legal abortion.

See the Guardian's Comment is Free debate on the issue.

The Conservative Party leader has been quoted in the press in support of a lowering of the abortion time limit. He has claimed that this is due to ‘medical advances’. The recent investigation by the parliamentary Science and Technology Committee however found that there were no scientific reasons in favour of restricting current legal rights.

Louise Hutchins, Campaign Coordinator, Abortion Rights called for all Members of Parliament, including David Cameron, to put women’s interests first, saying:

‘Women’s rights to legal abortion are facing a serious threat, with hard core anti-abortionists mobilising to attack the 1967 Abortion Act. We are appalled that a leading politician appears to be backing a minority, anti-woman fringe, when most people support the right to choose. Scientific evidence does not support an attack on the law. Later abortion is a tiny minority of all abortions, but the women whose rights would be removed by lowering the time limit are those facing unpredictable circumstances, often women in vulnerable situations.’

Abortion Rights has launched a public campaign against any attack in women’s abortion rights, pointing out that women’s rights to abortion need to be extended not restricted in any way. A woman’s right to choose has broad political support and is consistently backed by the public. Abortion Rights is planning a lobby of parliament and demonstration in coming months. An event to mark International Women’s Day, 8th March in Westminster will see trade unionists, medical professionals, parliamentarians students and others forming a human chain to spell out the pro-choice majority.

ENDS
For further information, briefings and interviews for media please contact Louise Hutchins, Campaign Coordinator on 020 7923 9792 or 07904 709 160

1. Abortion Rights is the national membership-based pro-choice campaign supporting women’s rights to choose on abortion. The campaign works closely with the Pro-choice and Sexual Health All Party Parliamentary Group, the Voice for Choice coalition of organisations and is supported by the TUC and the National Union of Students as well as many women’s organisations.

2. Later abortion is rare - less than 2 per cent, of abortions take place between 20 and 24 weeks. Later abortions are needed by women facing exceptional and unavoidable circumstances including undiagnosed pregnancies, domestic violence, incest and rape, health problems and NHS delays. Lowering the abortion time limit would force such women to continue to term a pregnancy against their will or force them to travel to other countries for a termination or seek a ‘backstreet’ abortion in Britain.

3. Lowering the abortion time limit is opposed by the government, politicians across all main political parties, and the medical professional bodies - the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Royal College of Nursing.