Labour promise to give women in Northern Ireland equal abortion rights, says leaked manifesto

Details from Labour’s leaked manifesto revealed today that the party would extend abortion rights to women in Northern Ireland if elected.

The 1967 Abortion Act, which assures legal and safe terminations to British women, has never applied in Northern Ireland, where women are still forced to make expensive and often traumatising visits to England to have an abortion.

The maximum sentence for having an abortion in Northern Ireland is life imprisonment, and in 2015 a high court judge said that the draconian laws were “incompatible” with the Human Rights Act and European Convention of Human Rights. And last year a 19-year-old girl forced to perform a DIY abortion with pills purchased online was given a three month suspended prison sentence.

Cara Sanquest of the London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign said: “We are very encouraged to see that the Labour Party has included in its draft manifesto a commitment to extend abortion rights to Northern Ireland. This is a clear indication that the Labour Party recognises the rights of women in Northern Ireland. Those living in other parts of the UK can access free and safe abortions on the NHS, under the 1967 Abortion Act.

“This right was never extended to Northern Ireland. We are aware that the manifesto is currently in draft. We urge the Labour Party to retain this vital pledge and provide more information. We’d also strongly encourage other parties to follow suit when publishing their manifestos.”

The manifesto also promises Jeremy Corbyn will scrap university tuition fees, lower the voting age to 16 and make zero hours contracts illegal. Meanwhile Theresa May wants to bring back that thing where posh people kill foxes.

Tough choice.

@rosielanners