Northern Irish MPs heckled in Parliament for defending pro-life views of their constituents

Jun 6, 2018 by Jill

from SPUC:

Northern Irish MPs faced sustained heckling and attempts to shout them down today in Parliament, as they defended the pro-life views of their constituents. The Speaker had to intervene to make sure DUP MPs were heard during an emergency debate called by Labour MP Stella Creasy on repealing sections of the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act (OPA), in a bid to decriminalise abortion across the UK, including in Northern Ireland.

The first pro-life MP to speak, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, rebutted claims from Ms Creasy and others that his views were out of touch with the people of Northern Ireland. “Frankly, Mr Speaker,” he said, “I would not have been returned for my sixth term in Parliament, if I was so disconnected from the people I represent.”

The DUP chief whip defended the right of the devolved administration to decide on this sensitive issue, and went on to say that 100,000 people are alive in Northern Ireland today because the Abortion Act 1967 was not accepted. “I am proud of that pro-life position, I am proud of the fact that there are so many people alive in Northern Ireland today because we have a law that respects the rights of both women and of the unborn child and we will maintain that position.”

There was particular uproar when Sammy Wilson of the DUP spoke up passionately for the rights of the unborn child. Hannah Bardell of the SNP branded his comments about people who “would have been discarded in a bin before they are born” as “disgusting”.

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