MPs vote to decriminalise abortion in historic vote

MPs person voted to decriminalise termination successful England and Wales.

The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, abolishing the prosecution of women for terminating their gestation astatine immoderate stage, passed by 379 votes to 137.

It represents the biggest shake-up successful reproductive rights for astir 60 years.

Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who tabled the alleged "New Clause One" (NC1), said it would guarantee women bash not look investigation, arrest, prosecution oregon imprisonment successful narration to immoderate pregnancies.

She said the existent "Victorian" laws had been utilized against susceptible women, citing cases specified arsenic Nicola Packer, who was prosecuted connected suspicion of having an amerciable abortion. She was recovered not blameworthy successful May.

"Nicola's communicative is deplorable, but determination are galore others," Ms Antoniazzi said.

Abortion successful England and Wales is presently a transgression offence but is ineligible with an authorised supplier for up to 24 weeks aft conception. The process is allowed aft this clip successful precise constricted circumstances.

It is besides ineligible to instrumentality prescribed related medicine astatine location if a pistillate is little than 10 weeks pregnant.

Ms Antoniazzi said NC1 was "a narrow, targeted measure" that would not alteration however termination services were provided oregon the rules nether the 1967 Abortion Act.

She said: "The 24 [week] bounds remains. Abortions inactive necessitate the support of signatures of 2 doctors, and women would inactive person to conscionable the grounds laid retired successful the Act."

The MP said that meant healthcare professionals "acting extracurricular the instrumentality and abusive partners utilizing unit oregon poisoning to extremity a gestation would inactive beryllium criminalised, arsenic they are now."

She added: "This portion of authorities volition lone instrumentality women retired of the transgression justness strategy due to the fact that they are susceptible and they request our help.

"As I person said before, and I volition accidental it again, conscionable what nationalist involvement is this serving? This is not justice, it is cruelty and it has got to end."

The alteration volition not travel into effect instantly arsenic the Crime and Policing Bill is inactive making its mode done Parliament.

A abstracted amendment, enactment guardant by Labour MP Stella Creasy, went further with a measurement to "lock in" the close of a idiosyncratic to person an termination portion protecting those who assistance them.

However, her amendment was not voted connected due to the fact that Ms Antoniazzi's passed, arsenic expected.

Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh, speaking against some amendments, described them arsenic "not pro-woman" and argued they "would present sex-selective abortion".

How did MPs vote?

MPs were fixed a escaped ballot connected the amendment, arsenic is typically the lawsuit with alleged matters of conscience.

A breakdown of the ballot showed it was passed overwhelmingly by Labour and Lib Dem MPs.

Read More: Sky canvass reveals public's presumption connected decriminalisation

Just 8 Conservative MPs voted successful favour, portion each Reform UK MPs opposed the amendment, with the objection of the party's person Nigel Farage, who abstained.

Sir Keir Starmer was not contiguous for the ballot arsenic helium is presently successful Canada for the G7 summit, but said earlier that his "longstanding in-principle presumption is that women person the close to a harmless and ineligible abortion".

The contented of women investigated by constabulary implicit suspected amerciable abortions has been successful the spotlight owed to respective caller high-profile cases.

Ms Packer was cleared by a assemblage past period aft taking prescribed termination medicine astatine location erstwhile she was astir 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the ineligible bounds of 10 weeks.

In the Commons, Ms Antoniazzi cited different lawsuit of a young parent who was jailed for 2 years aft she was forced to instrumentality amerciable termination medicine by her abusive partner. He was ne'er investigated.