SAOIRSE32

By Sam Lister
Belfast Telegraph
Thursday, 24 July 2008

Ulster’s politicians last night vowed to fight an attempt to force a vote on proposals to extend British abortion laws to Northern Ireland “all the way”.

Despite fierce opposition from the DUP, Sinn Fein, SDLP and the UUP, pro-choice MPs have tabled an amendment on the highly contentious Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill that would allow women the right to an abortion on the NHS.

Although it was widely denied, the DUP was understood to have been assured there would not be any changes in the province by Prime Minister Gordon Brown during his successful attempt to woo the party in return for support on the 42-day detention crunch vote.

But London MP Diane Abbott, who is behind the amendment, believes it has a strong chance of winning enough support to become law.

“When it comes to abortion rights, Northern Ireland women are effectively second-class citizens,” she said.

“They don’t have the same rights as women in England and Wales and Scotland. They even have fewer rights than women in the Republic of Ireland.

“The main way if you want to have an abortion, you have to travel to the UK and get one privately.

“We think we have got a very good chance of getting the amendment through.

“There is a very clear majority in Parliament for a woman’s right to choose and we believe there is a majority to extend that to Northern Ireland.”

Abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland unless it is deemed that the life of the mother is in danger or that the pregnancy would cause serious risk to the woman’s physical or mental health.

Pro-choice campaigners point out that rape and incest victims are expected to continue the pregnancy and give birth to the child. Around 50,000 women have travelled to England for the procedure over the last 40 years — with costs now estimated to reach around £2,000 once travel and accommodation has been included.

The new clause would extend the Abortion Act 1967, which means terminations could be carried out up to 24 weeks.

But the amendment could fall at the first hurdle if Speaker Michael Martin chooses not to select it when the bill reaches its next stage in the autumn.

It is the 30th tabled so far with more expected in the first weeks back after summer recess and those chosen tend to have been the subject of discussions in committee or ones which the |Government has carried work out on.

The main political parties in Northern Ireland and the four main churches have written to MPs opposing any change in the law.

Yesterday the DUP’s Upper Bann MP David Simpson uncovered figures about the scale of teenage abortion in England and Wales.

More than 12,000 terminations were carried out on girls aged 15 or under in the last three years and a further 17,500 carried out on 16 year olds.

He said: “There can be little doubt that a return to Direct Rule would only serve to increase both the pressure for such an extension and the chances of success.

“This move also demonstrates that there is not only no support across the political divide in Northern Ireland for it, but that there is active opposition right across Northern Ireland society.

“Every MP in the House of Commons knows full well that if it were up to local politicians and local people this would not take place.

“I and my party will fight such an attempt all the way through the House if necessary.”

Leader of the SDLP Mark Durkan added: “The SDLP, with full democratic conscience, will do everything we can to oppose these plans and will do so on behalf of the people who have elected us and on behalf of those human beings who can be saved if we can effectively curb and hold back the extension of this Act.

“In doing so, we will be seeking to maintain and preserve the fundamental integrity of humanity which goes to the heart of human values and the protection of life. “Furthermore, this issue once again highlights why it is important that the devolution of justice and policing powers take place as soon as possible.

By Andrew Woodcock
Irish Examiner
25 July 2008

THE Conservative Party is in talks with the Ulster Unionists about joining forces to create a new political movement in Northern Ireland.

Tory leader David Cameron revealed that talks have been underway between the parties for the past few months, leading to a decision last week to set up a working group on the creation of the new movement.

The working group is expected to discuss issues like whether a merger should take place or whether the two parties should work together in an alliance, and will report to Mr Cameron and UUP leader Reg Empey in the autumn.

In a joint article in the Daily Telegraph, the two men said they wanted to create conditions to shift the focus of politics in Northern Ireland away from the constitutional and sectarian issues which have dominated the past few decades and onto the bread-and-butter concerns of ordinary people throughout England, like tax, welfare and education.

If agreement is sealed, UUP MPs are expected to take the Tory whip and to be invited to serve as ministers in future Conservative administrations.

Although the UUP presently has only one MP at Westminster — Sylvia Hermon — it is thought likely to improve its showing at the next general election and may hold the balance of power in the case of a hung parliament.

Mr Cameron said: “For the first time in decades the people of Northern Ireland will now have a new choice of politics.

“These discussions with the UUP should mark the beginning of a creation of a new mainstream political movement that could provide leadership nationally but as importantly at every other level.

“Northern Ireland could have a new political force that follows an agenda of prosperity and opportunity and not one focused on division and the problems of the past.

“This new force — whilst supporting devolution — would be the only genuine national movement that stands and is represented in every part of Britain.

“And it will focus on the real issues now affecting the lives of the people of Northern Ireland every day — issues like schools, welfare and strengthening families.”

The Conservatives have historic ties with the Ulster Unionists and share a similar political philosophy, but there have been no formal links between the two parties at Westminster since the 1970s.

It is thought that the talks form part of an effort by Mr Cameron to spread the Conservatives’ appeal beyond the party’s traditional heartlands in England and into the other parts of Britain.

At present, the Tories have only four MPs outside England — three in Wales and one in Scotland.