My vote on decriminalising abortion

Having carefully considered the arguments made by both sides of this debate, I took the decision to vote in favour of the first amendment (NC1) for reasons I explain below. 

The amendment does not repeal the existing criminal law. It prevents women from being investigated, arrested, prosecuted or imprisoned for terminating their own pregnancies or for miscarrying. 

I do not believe any woman would decide to have an abortion lightly. The law change will protect women who have become pregnant following domestic abuse or sexual exploitation, to take just two examples, from being treated like a criminal. 

This means that women in England and Wales will now have the same protection from prosecution that is already available to women in Northern Ireland, Ireland, France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The amendment only addresses criminality. It doesn’t end the 24-week limit to abortion provision and won’t make it easier for women to get abortions. Medical professionals who assist women in obtaining an abortion outside the 24-week limit could still face prosecution. Regulations on time limit, telemedicine and grounds for an abortion are unchanged, as is the requirement for two doctors’ approval.

Losing a pregnancy for any reason can make women extremely vulnerable. It may be accompanied by medical complications. The current law leaves these women, who are already suffering, open to criminal investigation and prosecution. 

Last year, an unprecedented number of women were investigated by police on suspicion of illegally ending a pregnancy. Some of these investigations followed miscarriage. That seems unnecessarily cruel to me. 

To address this, the amendment disapplies, at any gestation, the existing criminal law related to abortion which was passed by Parliament in 1861 at a time when only men could be MPs. It removes the threat of prison for women who choose to end their pregnancies, as well as those who miscarry. 

I hope this will mean that women across the whole of our country (and not just Northern Ireland as now) can get safe, high-quality healthcare which meets their needs and which protects their dignity and their right to take decisions about their own body, life and future. This will include the freedom to seek medical care after pregnancy ends without fear of legal repercussions.

I will continue to work to ensure that abortions are provided legally, in safe environments with robust clinical oversight.

I hope this is helpful in explaining why I voted as I did. Thank you again to everyone who wrote to me about this hugely important issue. 

Best wishes