Editing Abortion in the United Kingdom (section)

==Political party approaches==
Abortion, as with other sensitive issues, is regarded as a matter of conscience within the main political parties in Great Britain. [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]], [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]], [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] and [[Scottish National Party]] representatives, for example, considered and individually decided to vote for or against several proposed changes in the term limit in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title=Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill—proposed changes in abortion limit from 24 weeks |url=https://www.publicwhip.org.uk/search.php?query=change+abortion+limit&button=Submit |website=www.publicwhip.org.uk |publisher=The Public Whip |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>

While active the [[Women's Equality Party]] supported removing abortion from criminal law and supported safe access to abortions.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.womensequality.org.uk/protect_reproductive_rights |title= Protect reproductive rights |website= womensequality.org.uk |publisher= Women's Equality Party |access-date= 16 August 2024}}</ref>

Minor British political parties which oppose abortion include the [[Heritage Party (UK)|Heritage Party]], [[Britain First]] and the [[Scottish Family Party]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manifesto |url=https://heritageparty.org/manifesto/ |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=Heritage Party |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=PARTY POLICIES |url=https://www.britainfirst.org/policies |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=Britain First - OFFICIAL WEBSITE |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://scottishfamily.org/ |title=scottishfamily.org|access-date=2024-07-29 |website=scottishfamily.org}}</ref>

In Northern Ireland, for the [[Social Democratic and Labour Party]] (SDLP), the [[Ulster Unionist Party]] (UUP), and the [[Alliance Party of Northern Ireland|Alliance Party]], abortion is also a matter of conscience, in line with the approach at Westminster.  The SDLP previously advocated an anti-abortion formal party position, including opposition to the extension of the Abortion Act 1967 to Northern Ireland;<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hanna |first1=Carmel |title=Private Members' Business: Abortion |url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/ni/?id=2007-10-22.6.26 |website=www.theyworkforyou.com |publisher=Official Report |access-date=22 October 2022 |location=Northern Ireland Assembly |date=22 October 2007}}</ref> this was changed by the party's membership to a conscience approach in May 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McClafferty |first1=Enda |title=SDLP members support conscience vote on abortion matters |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-44174053 |access-date=14 October 2019 |agency=BBC |date=19 May 2018}}</ref>

The [[Democratic Unionist Party]] and [[Traditional Unionist Voice]] supported the pre-2019 law on abortion and opposed the legislative changes introduced in 2020 through the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Act.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill |url=https://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2019-07-09&house=commons&number=428 |website=www.publicwhip.org.uk |publisher=The Public Whip |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=TUV Northern Ireland Assembly election manifesto |date=2017 |publisher=TUV |location=Belfast |page=16 |url=http://tuv.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/TUV-manifesto-1.pdf}}</ref> DUP MLA [[Paul Givan]] introduced the Severe Fetal Impairment Abortion (Amendment) Bill in February 2021, which sought to remove the ground for an abortion in cases of a severe [[disability]] in the unborn child (e.g. Down's Syndrome), which was supported by several representatives from other political parties on grounds of conscience.

[[Sinn Féin]] policy, as approved by its annual conference in June 2018, is for abortion to be available "where a woman's life, [physical] health or mental health is at risk and in cases of fatal foetal abnormality" and "without specific indication ... through a GP led service in a clinical context as determined by law and licensing practice for a limited gestational period".<ref>{{cite web |title=Sinn Féin Ard Fheis 2018, Motion 93, Ard Chomhairle |url=https://www.sinnfein.ie/ard-fheis-2018 |website=www.sinnfein.ie |publisher=Sinn Féin |access-date=14 October 2019}}</ref> The party previously held a more conservative position, for example in 2007 opposing the extension of the 1967 Act and preferring an approach to crisis pregnancy which involved comprehensive sex education, full access to affordable childcare, and comprehensive support services including include financial support for single parents.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ní Chuilín |first1=Carál |title=Private Members' Business: Abortion |url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/ni/?id=2007-10-22.6.25 |website=www.theyworkforyou.com |publisher=Official Report |access-date=22 October 2022 |location=Northern Ireland Assembly |date=22 October 2007}}</ref>

Following the policy decisions in 2018 by Sinn Féin and the SDLP, a new political party - [[Aontú]] - was formed with a policy of opposing abortion and upholding "the right to life of everyone irrespective of age, gender, race, creed, abilities or stage of development." Aontú has advocated for a "humane and compassionate response" to unwanted pregnancies, including economic support to take mothers out of poverty, pain relief being provided for the unborn child after 20 weeks of gestation, medical care for children who are born after an abortion procedure, and a legislative ban on abortion in cases of disability and gender selection.<ref>{{cite web |title=Right to Life |url=https://aontu.ie/right-to-life |website=www.aontu.ie |publisher=Aontú |access-date=22 October 2022}}</ref>

The [[Green Party in Northern Ireland]] and [[People Before Profit]] support the full decriminalisation of abortion (i.e. that it should be made available for any reason).<ref>{{cite book |title=A Green Manifesto for Northern Ireland |date=2017 |publisher=Green Party |location=Belfast |page=13 |url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/issues/politics/docs/green/gp_2017-02-16_nia-man.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=People Before Profit Assembly Election Manifesto 2017 |date=2017 |publisher=People Before Profit |location=Belfast |pages=20–21 |url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/issues/politics/docs/pbp/pbp_2017-02-21_nia-man.pdf}}</ref>

[[File:Bedford Square anti-abortion protestors.JPG|thumb|Anti-abortion protesters in London, 2011]]