by Sophie Church, Daily Mail
Peers will launch a last-ditch bid this week to block ‘reckless’ plans to let women legally terminate their baby up to birth.
Concerned members of the Lords will attempt this week to vote down measures to decriminalise abortion after 24 weeks or without approval from doctors – blasting the plans as ‘reckless and radical’.
In the biggest shake up to abortion laws in half a century, MPs last year voted to decriminalise abortion ‘up to birth’, leaving women free to abort their baby for any reason – including if they are not satisfied with the baby’s sex.
The surprise amendment was tabled by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi to the Crime and Policing Bill, after being debated for just 46 minutes in the House of Commons.
The proposal passed with 379 MPs voting in favour and 137 against, and was subsequently incorporated into the bill.
This is despite the public being staunchly against aborting pregnancies at any point up to birth – with 91 per cent of those polled voicing disagreement when surveyed by The Telegraph.
Peers will now have the chance to remove the proposals entirely from the legislation this week with the Crime and Policing Bill being scrutinised at report stage in the Lords, with votes expected on Wednesday.
Two amendments have been tabled – one calling to remove the proposals from the bill entirely, and the other to reinstate in-person consultations with a medical professional before abortion pills can be prescribed.