UK – Police investigate ‘extremist’ targeting of Stella Creasy by anti-abortion group

Police investigate ‘extremist’ targeting of Stella Creasy by anti-abortion group
Pregnant, pro-choice Labour MP subject to intense campaigning in her London constituency

Mark Townsend, Observer home affairs editor
Sun 6 Oct 2019

Scotland Yard is investigating the intimidation and harassment of Stella Creasy following the “extremist” targeting of the Labour MP by anti-abortion protesters over the past week.

Metropolitan police officers said they had taken a detailed statement from Creasy, the MP for Walthamstow in north-east London, and were examining evidence to ascertain whether the campaign against the pregnant, pro-choice politician had crossed the line.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/oct/06/stella-creasy-anti-abortion-group-police-investigate-extremist-targeting

UK government ‘must act on Northern Ireland abortion’

UK government 'must act on Northern Ireland abortion'
The UK government must "wake up" and decriminalise abortion in Northern Ireland, Tory MPs have told the BBC.

By Jean Mackenzie and Andy Smythe, BBC Victoria Derbyshire programme
10 October 2018

Anna Soubry, Nicky Morgan and Heidi Allen said Westminster must step in to protect women's human rights.

Northern Ireland's Assembly - which legislates on healthcare - collapsed 21 months ago, and a new poll suggests two-thirds of Northern Ireland citizens would support Westminster intervening.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-45719000

Theresa May urged to reform ‘cruel and barbaric’ abortion law in Northern Ireland

Theresa May urged to reform ‘cruel and barbaric’ abortion law in Northern Ireland

David Young
September 29 2018

A Conservative MP has urged the British prime minister to reform abortion law in Northern Ireland as a colleague branded the present regime barbaric, cruel and callous.

Huw Merriman said it was the “right time” for Theresa May to let Westminster vote on the restrictive laws on terminations in the region. Anna Soubry, another Tory MP, echoed the call, saying the near-blanket ban on abortion was unacceptable in the modern age.

Continued: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/theresa-may-urged-to-reform-cruel-and-barbaric-abortion-law-in-northern-ireland-cwd3svvxh

29.09.2018

UK – Stella Creasy’s abortion law campaign showed practical politics at its best

Stella Creasy’s abortion law campaign showed practical politics at its best
Courteous, attentive and largely free of partisan posturing, the debate on Northern Ireland’s law was a triumph of cross-party collaboration

Helen Lewis
Sun 10 Jun 2018

The most striking moment in politics last week was not David Davis’s fifth (unfulfilled) threat to resign. Nor was it Boris Johnson’s latest (unpunished) violation of collective responsibility. It wasn’t even the spectacle of hours of intense cabinet psychodrama finally resulting in a customs proposal that was instantly shot down by the EU’s chief negotiator. In Brexitland, a lot happens – but very little changes.

No, the week’s most interesting political event came late on Monday, when the Speaker, John Bercow, asked if he had “the leave of the House” to grant Labour backbencher Stella Creasy an emergency debate on Northern Irish abortion law. In silence, the vast majority of the MPs present in the Commons stood up – and the debate was granted. Supporters of the motion included the new minister for women, Penny Mordaunt, and Karen Bradley, the secretary of state for Northern Ireland.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/10/stella-creasy-abortion-law-campaign-practical-politics-at-its-best

Ireland – Emotional abortion debate draws gasps in House of Commons

Emotional abortion debate draws gasps in House of Commons
DUP hardline reinforced with claim abortion sometimes used as form of contraception

June 6, 2018
Denis Staunton

Sammy Wilson could not have known that he would be called to speak immediately after Conservative MP Heidi Allen had brought a hush to the House of Commons when she spoke of her own experience of abortion.

“Because I have been there, I am making it my business,” she said about the call to extend abortion rights to Northern Ireland.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/emotional-abortion-debate-draws-gasps-in-house-of-commons-1.3520499

Tory deputy chair attacks MPs over Northern Ireland abortion law

Tory deputy chair attacks MPs over Northern Ireland abortion law
James Cleverly says calls for Westminster to legislate in Northern Ireland are ‘party political game playing’

Jessica Elgot and Peter Walker
Wed 30 May 2018

Conservative party deputy chair James Cleverly has hit out at MPs campaigning for a change in Northern Irish abortion law, accusing Labour of exploiting the issue for party political gain.

Cleverly made his attack despite the fact that at least 13 female Conservative MPs have publicly supported a change to the law in Northern Ireland, which has some of the most restrictive rules on abortion in the world.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/30/tory-deputy-chair-attacks-mps-over-northern-ireland-abortion-law

Northern Irish women win access to free abortions as May averts rebellion

Northern Irish women win access to free abortions as May averts rebellion

Ministers announce funding for NI women to have abortions in England, in attempt to head off Tory revolt in Queen’s speech vote
Stella Creasy

Jessica Elgot and Henry McDonald
Thursday 29 June 2017

A decades-long struggle to give Northern Irish women access to terminations on the NHS in mainland Britain was unexpectedly won in the space of 24 hours on Thursday, as the UK government dramatically changed its policy in an attempt to head off a damaging Tory rebellion on the Queen’s speech.

Dozens of Conservative MPs were understood to have expressed to Tory whips their support for an amendment by the Labour MP Stella Creasy to allow Northern Irish women access to NHS-funded abortions in Great Britain.

Continued at link: The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/29/rebel-tories-could-back-northern-ireland-abortion-amendment

UK: Abortion rights for Northern Irish women in UK ‘must be addressed’

Abortion rights for Northern Irish women in UK 'must be addressed'

MPs raise fears that Conservative deal with DUP may scupper free terminations in Great Britain for women from Northern Ireland

Jessica Elgot
Monday 26 June 2017

MPs have warned that abortion rights for Northern Irish women travelling to Great Britain for a termination must be addressed despite the Conservative deal with the DUP, repeatedly raising their concerns during a heated debate in the Commons.

Labour MP Stella Creasy and Conservative MP Anna Soubry were among those who called on the government to permit Northern Irish women terminations in England without charge.

Continued at source: The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/26/abortion-rights-for-northern-irish-women-in-uk-must-be-addressed-mps-conservative-deal-dup