Shami Chakrabarti: Northern Ireland abortion reform is a test of Theresa May’s feminism
2 min read
Labour’s Shami Chakrabarti has piled further pressure on Theresa May to liberalise Northern Ireland’s abortion laws, branding the issue a “test” of the Prime Minister’s feminism.
Demand has been growing for Mrs May to allow abortion reform in the region following the an historic vote in the Republic of Ireland this weekend, with senior Tories leading the calls for change.
Around two thirds of Irish voters opted to ditch the anti-abortion clause of the country's constitution, prompting a cross-party call to extend the same rights to women in Northern Ireland.
Writing in the Mirror today, the shadow attorney general, Ms Chakrabarti, added her backing and challenged to Theresa May to prove her feminist credentials.
She wrote: “Women in Northern Ireland have been let down by privileged women and men for too long, the “democratic right” here is the right of women to make difficult ethical decisions about their bodies for themselves.
“No woman should be forced to leave her family for an abortion after rape or incest and to be criminalised on return.
“This is a feminist test.”
Labour backbencher Stella Creasy’s amendment to the Domestic Violence Bill on the subject has already won support from leading Conservative women including Education Minister Anne Milton and Health Select Committee chair Sarah Wollaston. Both have said MPs should be given a free vote if it comes to the House.
However, the Prime Minister is also facing fierce opposition from the DUP, whose 10 MPs she relies on in the Commons to prop up her minority government.
The unionist party's leader Arlene Foster yesterday made it clear that she would not accept any attempts to relax abortion laws in the region, saying the Ireland's vote should have “no impact” north of the border.
In a statement she said: "Friday's referendum has no impact upon the law in Northern Ireland, but we obviously take note of issues impacting upon our nearest neighbour.
"The legislation governing abortion is a devolved matter and it is for the Northern Ireland Assembly to debate and decide such issues."
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
