URGENT - Defend Abortion Rights
12 May 2008
STOP PRESS - Protests in Edinburgh and Glasgow against any reduction in the time limit will be held on Monday 19th May. Edinburgh - 6pm at the bottom of the mound. Glasgow - 5.30pm George Square.
Please show your support - bring banners, placards and friends and defend our current rights.
Click here for more info on how to support this campaign and details of a public meeting in Edinburgh.
Threat to abortion time limit - House of Commons voting will take place on 20th May.
Defend 24 Weeks – no reduction in abortion time limit
On Monday 19th May and Tuesday 20th May Members of Parliament will be considering amendments to the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Bill, on which there will be a free vote. These will include amendments which aim to lower the time limit for abortion. This vote is taking place much earlier than expected and with very little notice.
In the limited time available, it is vital that everyone who supports a woman’s right to choose does everything they can to show their opposition to any reduction in the time limit.
Please contact your MP– and encourage your trade union, women’s group, student union or other organization to do so too. Urge them to vote against any amendment to reduce the time limit.
We say: women must come first. There is no significant scientific or medical support for any reduction in the time limit. Yet a handful of anti-abortionists are using downright propaganda and misinformation, hoping to intimidate and mislead MPs into attacking women’s rights. An overwhelming majority of the public supports the right to choose: MPs should uphold choice and vote down amendments by Nadine Dorries and any anti-abortion MPs.
Less than two per cent of abortions take place after 20 weeks. If successful, a lowering of the abortion time limit would be devastating for a small number of women in difficult, unforeseeable and individual circumstances and would encourage further anti-abortion attacks. Contrary to anti-abortion hype, research shows there has been no increase in survival rates for births under 24 weeks. There is opposition to any lowering of the time limit from the British Medical Association, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, British Association of Perinatal Medicine, Royal College of Nursing, TUC, STUC and national trade unions, the National Union of Students, the Department of Health and MPs across all three major parliamentary political parties.
Please write to, email, phone or visit your MP before this vote, to urge them to vote against any lowering of the abortion time limit.
We urge MPs to make sure that they are in the House of Commons for the vote, and to defend the 24 week time limit.
If you wish you can use the model letter on Abortion Rights website or the Abortion Rights postcard.
Abortion Rights campaign will be organising a protest action at the time of the vote, further details will follow. Actions in Scotland are being arranged too. PLEASE GET INVOLVED!
More information available on the Abortion Rights website http://www.abortionrights.org.uk/
PLEASE MAKE SURE SCOTTISH MPS HEAR OUR VOICES ON THIS ISSUE
ASK ANY ORGANISATION OF WHICH YOU ARE A MEMBER TO WRITE NOW TO ALL SCOTTISH MPS.
WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE - CONTACT MPS THIS WEEK
Ann Henderson
for Abortion Rights (Scottish Steering Group)
