Tory MPS put pressure on May over NI abortion laws

SENIOR female MPS have demanded a meeting with Theresa May as they warn that she cannot avoid the “feeling on the ground” in Northern Ireland in favour of legalising abortion.

Leading Tories have asked for a faceto-face with the Prime Minister in the wake of the result in the Republic last week, in which two thirds of the population voted for the procedure to be legalised.

Last night Maria Miller, chairman of the Commons equalities committee, told The Daily Telegraph that there was support for a referendum within the Conservative Party, calling on the Government to tackle the issue “squarely”.

“My clear position is that I would like to see a similar referendum offered to the people of Northern Ireland, given that all the research I have seen suggests that the people are looking for a change in the law,” she added.

“As a party we feel strongly about equality issues and this is another issue that, in the absence of the Northern Ireland assembly, we need to find a way forward on. The Government will have to have a pragmatic response ... but I think we have all been struck by the strength of feeling on the ground in Northern Ireland.

“Nobody can ignore the voices of the people of Northern Ireland, and that is what we need to be focused on.”

Penny Mordaunt, the women and equalities minister, and Amber Rudd, the former home secretary, were among a number of influential MPS to speak out in favour of legalisation last week.

Ms Miller’s intervention will add to mounting pressure on Mrs May to change course on the issue, after she appeared at odds with her own MPS when she ruled out a referendum last week.