"This is also not a debate, as has been falsely claimed, about extending laws which apply in one part of the United Kingdom to another."
Iris Robinson on the extending of a law (the 1967 Abortion Act) which applies in one part of the United Kingdom to another.
Unfortunately as the Guardian is reporting this morning, it looks very unlikely that a debate, never mind vote, will even be held on the subject this afternoon:
For as well as reforming the law for women in England, Wales and Scotland, the plan was also to amend the bill to legalise abortion, at last, throughout the UK - removing an injustice from the original 1967 act and relieving the 2,000 or so women who travel from Northern Ireland each year to seek help, and many others who can afford neither the journey nor the fees. They, British citizens and taxpayers, are still driven to illegal abortionists: one in 10 GPs in the province report that they have dealt with the aftermath.
Instead, high hopes have fallen victim to what looks like political expediency. The leader of the house, Harriet Harman, who has a fine record on women's rights, has been persuaded that the Lords might use the bill to support the pro-life campaign to cut the limit from 24 to 20 weeks. This is even though the Lords has never before overridden the Commons on abortion. She has allowed all the abortion amendments to be pushed to the back of the debate, where they will fall for lack of time. Women and families everywhere in the UK will be losers. It is shoddy work.
“Shoddy” is not the word I’d use; once again the unholy alliance of DUP Fundamentalists and Catholic bishops have manipulated our democracy to ensure their narrow beliefs continue to be imposed on the whole of our society. I don’t suppose it really matters now, but contrary to what Iris Robinson and her buddies in the RC hierarchy are claiming, it would appear that a majority in Northern Ireland do agree with the availability of abortion in certain circumstances:
Hours before a Westminster vote takes place, it has been revealed that nearly two thirds of people in Northern Ireland (62%) say that abortion should be legal in cases of rape or incest.
Once again, British rights are being to denied to British citizens by those who would classify themselves as Unionists.
9 comments:
It just goes to show how skin deep the unionism of the DUP is once it comes into conflict with their real idealogical mantra of fundamentalist Christianity.
From them I expect no better but I am disgusted that Reg Empey aligned himself with this travesty. The UUP allows a free vote on this issue and has no party policy on it. Reg should have respected that. Even better he should have the balls to reject throwback 'traditional' unionism and reach out to the majority of people in Northern Ireland who don't want to live in the 50's.
I am reading the blog and i have found myslef asking what do you actually want for Northern Ireland.I know your a unionist and want to see NI remain part of the UK but under what system.You dont like the one you have now so what do you want to see replace it
"I am reading the blog and i have found myslef asking what do you actually want for Northern Ireland"
The Better Union document (which you can see on the right hand side just above my email address) outlines my favoured type of Unionism. I believe devolution in all three parts of the UK has greatly weakened our state and I'd like to see Westminster as the place where all decisions regarding all parts of the Uk are made. I think by trying to integrate NI more with the rest of the Uk then politics will be secularised more and decisions will be made on merit rather than what will best suit the politician's religious/communal group.
"It just goes to show how skin deep the unionism of the DUP is once it comes into conflict with their real idealogical mantra of fundamentalist Christianity."
I don't think anyone should ever be expected to put the union (and even then, a rather odd sense of unionism whereby apparently locally divergent laws are unacceptable) before his or her faith and moral beliefs.
That doesn't make it skin-deep at all. That's just common sense.
Regrettably, devolution throughout the Kingdom and, in particular, Northern Ireland - different laws relating to the old Stormont government throw-back - has brought confusion and inconsistency.
The principled position, if one is a Unionist who believes in the integrity of the Union, is to advocate the same legislation (as I do) throughout the UK.
The present system is a mess; it's deplorable.
dg,
The proposed extension of the 1967 act is (or should be) a matter of conscience for MPs. In that respect the DUP like any other of the MPs at Westminster is entitled to exercise their personal conscience in such a vote. What they're not entitled to do is to deny the self-same right to others in both N.Ireland and the Houses of Commons with their squalid backdoor deal with Brown and the rest of the Labour shower. Their attitude to Westminster is arrogance personified, how dare it legislate for our wee province...on the other hand how dare the English demand the same (or actually a much lesser) right to devolution that allows NI, Scotland, wales to plough their own merry path, this is something that David Simpson, MP for Upper Bann said when faced with the prospect of English votes for English measures:
“I was elected to serve as a member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster. To be elected to such a position is an honour and a privilege enjoyed only by another 645 people in the entirety of the United Kingdom. Whilst it is true to say that we are each elected to represent the interests of our individual constituencies, we are also elected as a body corporate to make decisions concerning the entirety of the United Kingdom.
Pure and utter hypocrisy.
David Simpson came out with that? In person? Surprisingly articulate for Mr lets get a chinky's.
I'm sure it was the DUP Press Office (and yours would have been quite a funny comment minus the casual racism)
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