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Poll shows support for abortion law reform
Monday, 20 October 2008
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A new abortion row has erupted after a survey shows that over 60% of people in Northern Ireland support the right to terminate pregnancies in cases of rape of incest.
The row comes just days ahead of a vote on a parliamentary bill that would extend the 1967 Abortion Act to the Province.
The amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is due to be debated in the Commons on Wednesday, but reports from Westminster suggest the government may use a procedural motion to push it to the back of the queue, in the hope that MPs will run out of time before voting on it.
Today’s survey, conducted by market researchers Millward Brown Ulster, states that nearly two thirds of Northern Irish people believe that abortion should be legal in cases of rape or incest. A total of 20% of the 690 men and women surveyed said abortion should not be legal in cases of rape or incest. A further 17 per cent said they did not know whether abortion should be legal in these circumstances or not.
Dr Audrey Simpson, director of the Family Planning Association (FPA) in Northern Ireland, said the statistics cannot be ignored and that it is time the Northern Ireland Assembly “faced up to the realities of the situation that people in Northern Ireland support the right to choose.”
She added: “If the elected members of the Northern Ireland Assembly are not willing to listen to public opinion and give women in Northern Ireland the same human rights as women in the rest of the UK, then it is up to Westminster MPs to be the voice of Northern Irish women.”
Bernadette Smyth, of Precious Life, said it is time the FPA “faced up to the reality that extending the Abortion Act is against the wishes of the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland.”
She added: “In October 2007 a motion against abortion was passed that sent out a clear message to Westminster that the Northern Ireland Assembly opposes any attempt to liberalise the law on abortion.”
Hundreds of campaigners attended an anti-abortion rally at Stormont on Saturday.
Figures from all sides of the political spectrum attended the rally.
The Alliance for Choice group, which wants the act extended, held smaller rallies outside Belfast City Hall and in Londonderry.
Alliance Party assembly member Anna Lo, who is pro-choice, warned that the amendment was “the last chance to liberalise the law on abortion”.
Ms Lo said: “I think that (no change in the law) would be very sad for Northern Ireland. I think this is the only chance for a long, long time for Northern Ireland to have this liberal law.”
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62% of the 690 people questioned in the survey support abortion in cases of rape or incest.
That's about 428 people.
How can 428 people be described as "over 60% of people in Northern Ireland"?
Posted by Michael | 22.10.08, 10:56 GMT
The abortion act in the Uk has left 204 000 children dead and 204000 mothers grieving with no sign of that amount coming down despite trojan efforts by the labour goverment to promote healthy sex education ( now to targeted at five year olds). every abortion has at least two victims,one dead and one wounded. The actual amount of the 204000 children aborted conceived because of rape/incest is very small. Less than half a percent and as for foetal disablity 1.9%. What about the other 98% inconvenient little ones? Society is decaying morally people are stabbing each other in the street? drinking and driving? Is this how we value our life and the lives of others? Come on NI stand up and unite, the Act would not liberalise us, we already have our Dept Health guidelines to look at these cases. This ACt would leave a legacy of hatred towards life. People aborting babies like getting a tooth removed like they do in the Uk and using it as a form of contraception.
Leave this issue to NI!
Posted by Amanda | 20.10.08, 20:12 GMT
I observed with some concern the picture of an MLA in saturdays paper. She appeared to be waving what appeared to be bloodied hands in the air at a rally in the grounds of stormont. The picture gave an impression of some ritualistic behaviour similar to that seen in films such as the "the north west passage?" with spencer tracey. Where the natives played football with their captives heads.
Such emotive imagery is not what I would expect from a public representative who's remit surely is to represent the views of the majority of her constituents for a balanced and intelligent debate.
Posted by dek | 20.10.08, 13:14 GMT
Did the survey ask whether people supported abortion where there was no rape or incest? If so, can we know the result please? If not, why not?
If the '67 Act were extended to Northern Ireland and implemented in the way it is in the UK (flying in the face of assurances provided at the time to persuade MPs to back it), then abortions for rape or incest would represent a tiny minority of the abortions which would be permitted.
People of Northern Ireland, thank you for continuing to shine a light in our darkness.
Posted by Pauline | 20.10.08, 09:52 GMT