Editing Diane Abbott (section)

===Abortion rights===
Abbott supported a number of amendments to the [[Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008|Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill]] (now Act) that favoured [[abortion rights]]<ref name="Galbraith">{{cite web |last=Galbraith |first=Rebecca |date=9 March 2009 |title=Harriet Harman shouldn't be blogging on International Women's Day – she's suppressed women's rights for 12 years |url=https://labourlist.org/2009/03/harriet-harman-shouldnt-be-blogging-on-international-womens-day-shes-suppressed-womens-rights-for-12-years/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316023823/https://labourlist.org/2009/03/harriet-harman-shouldnt-be-blogging-on-international-womens-day-shes-suppressed-womens-rights-for-12-years/ |archive-date=16 March 2018 |access-date=16 March 2018 |publisher=[[LabourList]]}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite news |last=Watt |first=Nicholas |date=21 October 2008 |title=Harman to block Commons votes on liberalising abortion laws |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/oct/21/health-health1 |url-status=live |access-date=16 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317165027/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/oct/21/health-health1 |archive-date=17 March 2018}}</ref> (along with [[Katy Clark]] MP and [[John McDonnell]] MP)<ref>{{cite news |date=23 July 2008 |title=MPs pushing abortion rights in NI |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7520856.stm |url-status=live |access-date=16 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626103827/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7520856.stm |archive-date=26 June 2018}}</ref> – including in 2008 leading on the NC30 Amendment of the Abortion Act 1967: Application to Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |author=Table Office |publisher=House of Commons |title=House of Commons Amendments |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmbills/120/amend/pbc1202210m.3272-3278.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317102117/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmbills/120/amend/pbc1202210m.3272-3278.html |archive-date=17 March 2018 |access-date=16 March 2018 |website=publications.parliament.uk}}</ref> Writing for ''The Guardian'', Abbott argued that

{{blockquote|When it comes to the right to choose, women in Northern Ireland are second-class citizens. They are denied the NHS treatment and funding for abortion that is permitted to every other woman in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Abbott |first=Diane |date=23 July 2008 |title=Diane Abbott: A right to choose? Not in Northern Ireland |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/jul/23/northernireland.law |url-status=live |access-date=27 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505134832/https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/jul/23/northernireland.law |archive-date=5 May 2018}}</ref>}}

It was reported that the Labour Government at the time (in particular [[Harriet Harman]]<ref name="Galbraith" /><ref name=":0" />) asked MPs not to table these pro-abortion amendments (and at least until [[Third Reading]]) and then allegedly used parliamentary mechanisms in order to prevent a vote accordingly.<ref name="Galbraith" /> Speaking in the debate in Parliament, Abbott criticised these "manoeuvres":

{{blockquote|I speak against the programme motion because—and I say this with no pleasure—it and the order of discussion appear to be a shabby manoeuvre by Ministers to stop the full debate of some very important matters. I appreciate that Ministers did not intend this to be a Bill about abortion. I am open to the argument that we should have another piece of legislation that would enable a full debate on most of the matters in relation to abortion that have been raised as amendments and new clauses to the Bill, but there is a special case for debating and voting on the particular new clause that I tabled to extend the 1967 Act to Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons |title=House of Commons Hansard Debates for 22 Oct 2008 (pt 0007) |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm081022/debtext/81022-0007.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528133717/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm081022/debtext/81022-0007.htm |archive-date=28 May 2018 |access-date=27 May 2018 |website=publications.parliament.uk}}</ref>}}