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UK News

'Disgraceful': Christian campaigner slams MPs over NI abortion intervention

by Tola Mbakwe

The Commons held an emergency debate on Tuesday on termination laws, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn insisting Parliament had a responsibility to respect human rights standards.

The Government has faced intense cross-party calls to liberalise Northern Ireland's abortion laws following the landslide pro-choice referendum victory in the Irish Republic less than two weeks ago.

Peter Williams, Christian and chief executive of Right to Life, told Premier politicians calling for Northern Ireland to overturn its abortion ban are out of line.

"It does concern me mainly because of the anti-democratic nature of the proposal," he told Premier's News Hour.

"That English MPs, Welsh MPs and Scottish MPs would be voting to impose permissive abortion legislation on Northern Ireland, which is a place that has decided for a very long time to have much more restrictive laws and much better right to life protections for unborn children, is disgraceful."

In the emergency meeting, DUP leader Arlene Foster said that abortion is a devolved matter and should only be dealt with by the Northern Ireland Assembly, which is currently suspended.

Mr Corbyn said: "I would say very politely to Arlene Foster, you were elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly, maybe you should play your part in ensuring that Assembly functions and we get a devolved administration working in Northern Ireland.

"In the absence of it, then clearly the UK Parliament has responsibility to adhere to human rights standards, and there is a Supreme Court decision coming on Thursday.

"Labour's position has always been that abortion rights should be extended, without fear or favour, across the whole of the UK."

Labour MP Stella Creasy pushed for the debate to discuss doing away with parts of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

Listen to Peter Williams speaking with Premier's Tola Mbakwe here:

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