Baroness Paisley urges politicians ‘to save the day’ and unite in bid to block changes

THE wife of the late Ian Paisley has called for the DUP and Sinn Fein to return to Stormont to block the reform of Northern Ireland’s abortion laws.

In a letter to the News Letter, Baroness Paisley called for someone to break party political cover and “save the day”.

In July, MPs passed the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Act, which contained a provision placing a duty on the Government to legislate for same-sex marriage and reform abortion laws here.

It comes into effect if Stormont’s power-sharing instituimposed

Plea: Baroness Paisley

tions are not restored by October 21. Terminations are currently only allowed in extremely limited cases here.

In her letter, Baroness Paisley wrote that the decision facing the political parties was “the greatest test of our politiTHE cal leadership”. She wrote: “Until now, like many thousands in our province, I have hoped and prayed that the greater good might prevail and that our elected representatives might lay down their differences, take up their mandate and return to work with the not inconsiderable aim of preventing such a wholesale turnabout in the law regarding abortion.

“The various arguments as to why they are choosing not to do so need no repetition by me. We are wearied by their scrambling to claim the higher ground. But now the hard-won devolution powers which have the potential to reap a fine harvest for us, are being left to perish in the field.”