PRO-CHOICE SUPPORTERS SET OUT CAMPAIGN GOALS WITH MPS AHEAD OF LIKELY FINAL ABORTION VOTES ON 22 OCTOBER

Yesterday pro-choice supporters flocked into the Commons to launch their campaigning ahead of expected votes at the Report stage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill now likely to be on the 22 October.

Those present included representatives from different parts of Britain, and from Northern Ireland, where the legal provisions of the 1967 Abortion Act continue to be denied to women.

Campaigners are opposed to anti-abortion amendments to restrict women’s rights that have been tabled and urge MPs to ensure these are unsuccessful. At the same time, support is being encouraged for amendments tabled to advance women's rights. The latter include amendments to reduce the number of doctor's who need to give consent, from two to one in line with other medical treatments, and to extend legal rights to Northern Ireland.

Speakers at the rally represented the breadth of support for a woman’s right to choose and the powerful alliance that successfully worked together earlier this year to defeat attempts to lower the 24 week abortion time limit.

Speakers included: Diane Abbott MP; Annie Campbell - Alliance for Choice; Kay Carberry - TUC Assistant General Secretary; Katy Clark MP; Evan Harris MP; Jacqui Lait MP; Christine McCafferty MP; Wendy Savage - Doctors for a Woman's Choice on Abortion; Dr Audrey Simson - fpa Northern Ireland; Polly Toynbee - Guardian commentator. Chair: Anne Kane, Abortion Rights.

Katy Clark Labour MP said: We should be really proud of the victory in defending the time limit on 20th May. It was the result of a great deal of work outside of the Commons by thousands of individuals , trade unionists and others as well as hard united work by MPs. “We need to make sure MPs again vote against amendments that aim to make access to abortion more difficult for women. Many MPs want to support advances in women’s rights they must be supported to do the right thing.

Christine McCafferty Labour MP who has tabled New Clause 9, to allow womento take the second stage of an early medical abortion at home said: “The anti-choice lobby would have us believe that it’s so easy [to access abortion] and we’re trying to make it easier, well no, we’re just trying to allow women who are having an abortion choice and give women access, which is their human right.

Evan Harris Liberal Democrat MP, who has tabled New Clause 1, to reduce from two to one the number of doctors required to approve an abortion said: This is a very important moment, it is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve access to abortion to modernise the law. We have a pro-choice House of Commons and even more pro-choice House of Lords – we’ve established this with the vote on 24 weeks.

Jacqui Lait Consevative MP who has tabled New Clauses 7 and 10 to allow more local abortion services said: There is support right across the parties. Many of you may not perhaps think the Conservatives are the natural party of those supporting abortion, but there is a real level of support there that is determined to vote. We treat this it as a matter of conscience.

Diane Abbott Labour MP who has tabled New Clause 30 to extend access tosafe, legal abortion to women in Northern Ireland said: Now we have been able to do something historic, to [table an amendment to] extend the rights that all women of the Britain already have into Northern Ireland. The issue here is, should there be a group of women inthe United Kingdom who are essentially second-class citizens? Speaking of the anti abortion lobby Ms Abbott said “These are a set of peoplewho are the greatest hypocrites, their real problem is with women’s enfranchisement. Given their way, they would take back the economic progress and social progress that women have been able to make in the last 40 years.

Kay Carberry, TUC Assistant General Secretary said: A fundamental principle which we must underline, is that access to safe, legal abortion is a pre-requisite to women’s equality. Ms Carberry also referred to the 'unanimous vote at the TUC Congress in September' in defence of current rights and supporting advances and said "The vast majority of the British public support us. The trade union movement is standing there right beside you.

Dr Audrey Simpson Simpson, FPA Northern Ireland Director said: “As a woman from Northern Ireland, I donâ't have any rights when it comesto abortion. If a woman has an unplanned pregnancy, if she has been raped or is a victim of sexual abuse, if her health is at risk she has to find between £600 and £2000 for an abortion in Englan, which is impossible for a lot of poorer women. We need to drag the law out of the nineteenth century.

Annie Campbell, Alliance for Choice, a grassroots organisation in NI, said: Abortion is a basic human right, we have a broad movement that spans the students NUS and USI, all of the women's sector including Women's Aid, all of the trade unions and a great deal of civil society. If you're in favour of human rights, get this amendment through for us. The churches and politicians who are saying no abortion, are not the young women who need help.

Polly Toynbee, Guardian journalist said: Sephologists have shown that no seat has even been swung on abortion orany so called moral issue. Speaking of the anti-abortion amendments tabled, Polly Toynbee said: We must reclaim the sense of outrage over treating women like they are children, treating women as though they can't make up their own minds. It is important that we win not just the vote but the argument. Wendy Savage, Doctors for a Woman's Choice on Abortion said: The positive amendments have strong support from doctors and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists fully support Amendment 1. They have based their position on evidence doctors know that ultimately a woman makes her own mind up and if you don't do it safely she will do it unsafely.

Anne Kane, Chair of Abortion Rights urged a call to action, and said: 'Every single person here tonight should use every lever at their disposal up to the vote to encourage your MP to vote for women's rights to choose - write to your MP as an individual, write through your trade union reminding sponsored MPs of the excellent TUC policy and do not underestimate the determination of the anti-choice minority. Our unity this year has allowed us to make sure the voices of the pro-choice majority have been heard. We need to make sure that continues through to a successful conclusion to this Bill'.

Abortion Rights will be working with supporters to lobby MPs and will be organising a protest ahead of the Report stage abortion votes once the date of the vote is confirmed. Details to be announced atwww.abortionrights.org.uk

We seek for an end all attempts to restrict current abortion law, and support positive legal change to allow women rather than doctors to make the abortion decision and for an end to unacceptable delays in access to abortion services.

For more information, photos or interviews please contact Louise Hutchins, Campaign Coordinator on 020 7923 9792 email choice@abortionrights.org.uk

Notes to editors

1) Abortion Rights is the national pro-choice campaign, working to defend and extend abortion rights and provide a pro-choice voice to the media. We are supported by the TUC, National Union of Students and work closely with the All Party Parliamentary Pro-choice and Sexual Health Group.

2) The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill goes through its final stages in Parliament this autumn including the Report stage and third reading in the House of Commons before it returns to the Lords. It is expected that the Report stage will now take place on the 22 October after being postponed from the spring. It is expected that the date will be confirmed on Thursday 9th in the House of Commons business announcements.

3) On 20th May 2008 MPs voted 304 votes to 233 to defend the current abortion time limit of 24 weeks.

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