All articles written by Diana Johnson MP on PoliticsHome.com

22 Apr Social affairs

Women are being prosecuted for terminating pregnancies – it's time to reform cruel abortion law

In common with 90 per cent of the UK population, I wholeheartedly support a woman’s right to choose.

01 Feb Books & culture

A steampunk tale of gothic horror with glorious cinematography, Yorgos Lanthimos’ film pushes the boundaries of artistic freedom with this disturbing – yet hopeful – black comedy

26 Oct 2023 Foreign affairs

There will be no peace while Hamas still has power

They murdered and kidnapped Holocaust survivors, massacred babies and gunned down young people as they danced at a music festival.

03 Jul 2023 Health

It’s time to stop jailing women for abortions

Last month, a mother of three children was sentenced to 28 months’ imprisonment for ending her pregnancy. She was prosecuted under Section 58 of the Offences against the Person Act, a piece of legislation dating from 1861 that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

27 Feb 2023 Home affairs

It's high time Parliament takes on the predatory pornography industry

Recent headlines on the topic of porn have been about a Member of Parliament watching it – rather than legislating on it – which is both damning and unsurprising.

19 Jan 2023 Home affairs

Deeds not words are needed to combat institutional sexism in the police

Here we are again. Yet another serving police officer has been exposed as a violent sexual predator.

26 Sep 2022 Home affairs

Committee Corner – Home Affairs Committee chair Diana Johnson on her in-tray

Amid a cost of living crisis and stretched public services, the next 12 months will be busy for Parliament’s select committees. Labour chairs set out their priorities – now, Diana Johnson.

26 Apr 2022 Home affairs

The government needs to introduce new 'spiking' criminal offence to keep people safe

Last year, when reports emerged of a new and sinister form of spiking, where victims were being injected with unknown substances, there was understandable concern. The Home Affairs Select Committee recently held hearings on the issue and have published recommendations.

14 Mar 2022 Home affairs

The UK’s response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis has not been good enough - our visa scheme must change

It is now over two weeks since Vladimir Putin’s Russia illegally invaded Ukraine on 24 February. In that time around two million people have been displaced.

03 Mar 2022 Home affairs

The government is repeating its failings for Windrush victims

The Windrush scandal was the culmination of decades of hostile treatment and its consequences cannot be understated.

13 Dec 2021 Political parties

I know that select committee work can show Parliament at its very best, which is why I'm running to chair the Home Affairs Select Committee

One of the joys of politics is that you never know what is around the corner. A new opportunity can arise out of the blue.

09 Sep 2021 Health

Whether in Texas or closer to home, women are once again having to fight for our right to an abortion

The Texas abortion ban is a shocking rollback of women’s hard-fought reproductive rights and damaging to the fight for equality.

02 Aug 2021 Health

Ken Clarke’s tin-eared approach shows why the infected blood inquiry is needed 40 years on

Until this week, Kenneth Clarke had refused to engage with attempts to uncover what happened 40 years ago. His lack of empathy, contrition or humility was shocking, striking - but informative.

25 Feb 2021 Economy

The Chancellor must make the Universal Credit uplift permanent

It would be economically irresponsible to take money away from people right now. The government must support people for as long as they need it.

10 Dec 2020 Home affairs

To stop sexual exploitation, we should criminalise paying for sex

To dismantle the business model of sex trafficking, we have to tackle the demand that drives sexual exploitation and stop the ruthless individuals who facilitate it

12 Nov 2020 Health

Women and girls face greater difficulties accessing treatment, diagnosis and referral for bleeding disorders

The APPG on Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood's inquiry into bleeding disorders found the UK has fallen behind in outcomes for people with bleeding disorders.

30 Oct 2020 Home affairs

Britain must no longer be a soft touch for pimps and traffickers

To stop the brutal sex trafficking trade, we have to bust its business model. The government must criminalise paying for sex and make pimping websites a criminal offence.

09 Sep 2020 Health

Remote access to early abortion medicine is a lifeline for women - it must continue post-Covid

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic women up to 10 weeks gestation could access abortion services through telemedicine. The case to retain this change is overwhelming; resulting in shorter waiting times and creating greater capacity.

10 Jan 2020

Labour’s next leader must head an opposition that looks like an alternative government, not a protest movement

We need someone who can devise a deliverable plan for government with identified milestones, writes Dame Diana Johnson MP

18 Jul 2019 Health

As we celebrate votes on decriminalising abortion in Northern Ireland, it’s time for a new Abortion Act for England and Wales too

Women in England and Wales can still go to prison for having an abortion – we must remove the criminal law from what is essentially a matter between a woman and her doctor, says Diana Johnson

04 Jul 2019 Health

Westminster should put in temporary measures to reform abortion laws in Northern Ireland

We cannot wait for the Northern Irish Assembly to sit again to reform abortion laws. Westminster should put in temporary measures now, no matter what the Conservative leadership candidates say, writes Diana Johnson

30 Apr 2019 Health

We cannot wait until the conclusions of the infected blood inquiry to provide proper financial support to those affected

As the public enquiry into the infected blood scandal starts today, Diana Johnson MP writes for PoliticsHome about the need for the government to ease the burden and stress on those infected and their families.

22 Mar 2019 Political parties

MPs will continue to do what we think is right – whatever threats come our way

MPs are not part of a ‘treacherous’ conspiracy against our country or ‘betraying democracy’ by scrutinising Brexit, writes Labour's Diana Johnson

08 Nov 2018 Foreign affairs

dispatches from the US midterms

Diana Johnson was part of a Westminster delegation to observe the US midterm elections. The Labour MP writes about her experience and what she learned about democracy across the pond

22 Oct 2018 Home affairs

Let’s end the Victorian stigma and create a 21st century abortion law

Whether they are in Belfast, Bangor or Bath, women deserve modern, humane and properly regulated access to abortion, writes Diana Johnson

08 Mar 2018 Health

Maria Caulfield’s ‘baseless claims’ about abortion are concerning

Diana Johnson MP responds to Maria Caulfield MP saying reducing the time limit for abortion flies in the face of the evidence.

31 Jan 2017 Education

Compulsory sex education will protect our children from misinformation and predators

Writing exclusively for PoliticsHome, Diana Johnson MP argues that Sex and Relationship Education should be compulsory in all schools to help children deal with the 'wrong messages' that are still prevalent in society.

31 Jan 2017 Education

We need compulsory sex education to tackle children's exposure to misinformation and predators

Diana Johnson MP: Sex and Relationship Education should become compulsory in schools to help children deal with the 'wrong messages' that are still prevalent in our society.