Urgent: please contact your MP before Monday to protect mothers and babies

This Monday an attempt will be made to radically change the law on abortion. This will be in the form of two backbench amendments to the Government’s Domestic Abuse Bill. The proposed new Clause 29 permits abortion on demand, potentially to 28 weeks (beyond viability). New Clause 28 effectively facilitates coercive abortion and dangerous late term medical abortion in the context of abusive relationships – wholly contrary to the Bill’s purpose.

For further information on the nature and consequences of these amendments see this Right to Life resource.

This Bill has already been through its detailed Commons scrutiny phase and these amendments were only published on Thursday. So there will be no opportunity for public consultation or debate and minimal opportunity for Parliamentary scrutiny. The Bill will then go to the Lords and they are traditionally reluctant to reject amendments already approved in the Commons.

It is also clear from the “We Trust Women” campaign group behind this that if this succeeds the final stage will be to legalise abortion on demand right up to birth.

Bishop Sherrington (who represents our Bishops Conference on these matters) has a statement on this here. (This was written in anticipation just before the amendments were published but covers the key principles.)

Please contact you MP and urge them (while supporting the much-needed Bill as a whole) to oppose new Clauses 28 and 29. If time is short you can use the quick Right to Life facility (see the second link above) – and you can edit their standard email as you wish. But if you can find time to compose your own email then do take a look at the very helpful information and guidance from CARE here. Both these were written after the amendments were published so their commentaries reflect the full implications.

And please keep this, and all vulnerable mothers and babies, constantly in your prayers. Please also remember those many women who suffer now as a consequence of past decisions.

Thank you.

Enquiries to Pauline Gately p.gately@btinternet.com