PRESSURE TO REFORM NORTHERN IRISH ABORTION LAWS
Pressure on May increases after poll in south ends 35-year ban
BY ANDREW GREGORY THERESA May faces huge pressure to reform Northern Ireland’s abortion laws after the Irish referendum backed reform.
Two in three voters in Ireland backed reform, leading to calls for an end to the “anomalous” situation in Northern Ireland.
The poll ended a 35-year ban on abortions.
The Prime Minister congratulated the Irish people on their decision.
On Twitter, May wrote: “The Irish referendum yesterday was an impressive show of democracy which delivered a clear and unambiguous result.”
But a Downing Street source said it showed “one of the important reasons we need a functioning executive back up and running”.
Northern Ireland has been without a government since January 2017, after a power-sharing deal between the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein collapsed.
Abortions are currently only legal in Northern Ireland if the life or mental health of the mum is at risk.
Sinn Fein backed the campaign to liberalise abortion laws but the DUP oppose change.
May faces a political nightmare over calls to act in Northern Ireland because she is being propped up at Westminster by 10 DUP MPs.
Last night, Labour piled on pressure by demanding May back laws to extend abortion rights to Northern Ireland. And Tory ministers – including within her own Cabinet – also backed liberalisation of laws.
Scores of MPs across the Commons indicated they were prepared to act to rewrite the legislation given the absence of a devolved administration in Stormont.
Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt – responsible for the women and equalities brief – said the referendum signalled a “hopeful” day for Northern Ireland. “That hope must be met,” she added.
But DUP MP Ian Paisley said Northern Ireland “should not be bullied into accepting abortion on demand”.