MPs bid to force government to act over ban on abortion in Northern Ireland

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MPs will try to force the government to legalise abortion in Northern Ireland when the Commons votes this evening on a motion tabled by Labour MPs.

The amendment, which would force ministers to ensure that the law in the region is compatible with human rights legislation, has been tabled by Labour backbenchers Stella Creasy and Conor McGinn but has the backing of a number of Tories.

Both the Conservatives and Labour are expected to give their MPs a free vote on the matter, raising the prospect that it could pass.

It comes after the Commons yesterday voted by 208 to 123 in favour of a largely symbolic motion to scrap the 157-year-old laws that make abortion illegal in Northern Ireland. It was backed by several Tory ministers, including women and equalities minister Penny Mordaunt, piling pressure on Ms May to act.

Proposing her amendment, Ms Creasy told the Commons: "This amendment would not create a new law in Northern Ireland but what it would do is recognise that there are thousands of people in Northern Ireland whose lives right now are affected by two key human rights issues.

“They are human rights issues because the are issues on which our courts are currently discussing, ruling and indeed appealing."

She added: “They refer in particular to the right of somebody to be able to marry who they love and the right of women to have bodily autonomy. To make the choice, if they wish, to not continue with an unwanted pregnancy.”

Follow the action as it happened...

[24 October 2018 17:25 · Benjamin Kentish]

Labour's Stella Creasy is now moving her amendment that seeks to legalise abortion in Northern Ireland. 

She says the amendment is "an incredibly reasonable request" and that it has been "too long" for residents of Northern Ireland not to have a devolved government. 

Ms Creasy says the debate is about human rights issues. Women in Northern Ireland who are raped and then seek an abortion can face a longer prison sentence than their attacker, she says. 

28 women a week are forced to travel from Northern Ireland to Great Britain to access abortion services, she says, adding that the Supreme Court ruled that this was "cruel and degrading".

[24 October 2018 17:26 · Benjamin Kentish]

Stella Creasy says:

 

"This amendment would not create a new law in Northern Ireland, but what it would do is recognise that there are thousands of people in Northern Ireland whose lives right now are affected by two key human rights issues.

“They are human rights issues because the are issues on which our courts are currently discussing, ruling and indeed appealing.

“They refer in particular to the right of somebody to be able to marry who they love and the right of women to have bodily autonomy. To make the choice, if they wish, to not continue with an unwanted pregnancy."

[24 October 2018 17:34 · Benjamin Kentish]

That's all for today's live coverage but keep checking www.independent.co.uk for all the latest updates, including the outcome of tonight's votes on legalising abortion in Northern Ireland. Thanks for following!