MPs mount bid to ban abortion protesters from intimidating women outside clinics

'Access to health services should be a fundamental human right that can be exercised without fear of intimidation for all,' says Labour's Rupa Huq

(PA)

A Labour MP will mount a fresh attempt to create buffer zones outside abortion clinics to protect women seeking terminations from being harassed by demonstrators.

Cross-party MPs have backed efforts by Ealing MP Rupa Huq to ban protesters from abusing women at family planning facilities by calling them murderers or brandishing images of foetuses.

Ealing Council was the first local authority to introduce a protest-free zone outside a clinic in 2018 after a long-running row over the presence of aggressive pro-life campaigners at the facility,

But the-then home secretary Sajid Javid rejected calls to introduce exclusive zones outside all clinics in England and Wales, saying it would not be “proportionate response” to the levels of harassment.

Councils can apply for public spaces protection orders (PSPOs) to ban gatherings – such as in Ealing – but these orders need to be regularly renewed.

Dr Huq will bring forward a 10-minute rule motion on Wednesday to restrict demonstrations within 150m of facilities, which has been backed by a number of MPs, including senior Tories Sir Bernard Jenkin and Andrew Mitchell.

“Access to health services should be a fundamental human right that can be exercised without fear of intimidation for all,” she told The Independent.

“Following Ealing’s creation of this first ever buffer zone in the UK, Richmond has followed, with Manchester and Birmingham in the pipeline but it’s not right that women must submit themselves to effectively a postcode lottery to be able to avail themselves of reproductive care."

Dr Huq argued that nationwide legislation would be more effective than putting the burden on struggling local authorities to bring in PSPOs.

She added: "This is not about the rights and wrongs of abortion or number of weeks. While emotions run high on that, it’s been legal for over 50 years.

"It’s about the rights of vulnerable women to access healthcare in safety, anonymity and dignity as they would be able to with any other procedure without the paraphernalia of protest in their face, which can range from from a range of activities designed to induce guilt - a leaflet tunnel (with grossly inaccurate quasi-medical info), foetus dolls, being called “mum” and being filmed/ live streamed."

Rachael Clarke, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas), which provides abortion services, said there have been protests outside 45 clinics, hospitals and GP surgeries over the past two years.

Bpas reported in February that anti-abortion protesters had been gathering outside its Finsbury Park clinic, with some women followed down the street or handed leaflets addressed to “Mum”.

“This is not political speech, but a deliberate attempt to stop individual women accessing abortion services,” she said.

“Despite our work with local councils and police forces, this is a national problem that needs legislation to put a stop to it.

“After a brief reprieve as a result of COVID-19, these protests are beginning to re-emerge across the country. Women and healthcare workers need MPs to stand up for their rights to access services and provide medical care without fear of intimidation and harassment.”

Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right to Life, said women could receive "compassionate emotional and practical support" from campaigners outside clinics.

"We would, therefore, urge MPs to vote against this motion and send a clear signal that women should not be denied the choice of life-saving support for them and their baby.”

If approved, the draft bill will proceed to its next Commons stage. However backbench legislation of this kind rarely becomes law without government backing.