To have just emailed Jeremy Hunt

[Ponyofdoom]

and told him exactly what I thought of him and his anti choice views on abortion, using the word 'disgusted' far too many times for someone not from Tunbridge Wells...then to have emailed Dianne Abbott and thanked her for standing up for women's rights. Even though I am a Tory.

[SmokyClav]

He is a cunt.

[BadDayAtTheOrifice]

I couldn't think of a worse person to be health minister tbh. I despair for the health service and what is about to become of it and we could do without his personal opinions fucking everything up a bit more.
Fucking cunt.

[Ponyofdoom]

Glad it's not just me then. I wonder if he will reply. I might just keep emailing him as he has really p*ssed me off after a really good evening.

[Narked]

For anyone who doesn't know, our health minister has decided to air his views that the abortion limit should be lowered to 12 weeks. On no medical grounds or evidence. Because he thinks that 12 weeks 'is the right point for it.'

[Narked]

You'd have thought he would have been too busy dismantling the NHS to start taking away women's medical choices, but he's multitasking.

[NewNames]

YANBU

Ne surprised if the dickhead can read though.

[Ponyofdoom]

Thanks for making me smile wryly with that, Narked! Can we maybe get him a few more (polite-ish, obviously) emails please?

[sausagerolemodel]

Might you consider not being a Tory? Because this is what they align themselves with.

[BadDayAtTheOrifice]

Does he have the power to actually do this just on his say-so? Surely decisions like this will have to be evidence based as in other areas of medicine and not just because he thinks 'its best'?
He obviously has no idea that alot of antenatal screening is done at 20+ weeks.
Cunt.

[Ponyofdoom]

He's just spouting off, No. 10 has issued a statement I think I heard, to say they wont be changing the limit. But really he shouldn't be in that job.
Sausage; I have no other party I can bear to vote for, unless you can suggest an obscure one I haven't come across yet?

[izzyizin]

Dianne Abbot standing up for women's rights rather than her own?

You have BU to thank that self-serving waste of space for anything.

As for Mr -CHunt, you ABU to expect any politician to know their arse from their elbow or spout anything other than what they're told to, or what they believe will is votecatching-- barnstorming oration.

[izzyizin]

Bring back the Nun of the Above party.

[Narked]

He knows. He doesn't care.

Voting on abortion is usually done 'on conscience' rather than party lines, but the Tories have been planning something for months.

Nadine Dorries proposed a fruit loop (no surprise there) amendment to stop BPAS - and anyone involved with the provision of abortions - from offering pre abortion counselling. That would have ruled out the NHS too. The only groups with the funds and will to offer counselling that have no involvement in the provision of abortion services are ... anti abortion groups! Amazing coincidence that.

Right before - seriously, minutes before - she was about to propose it Frank Fields (anti abortion) MP pulled out as co sponsor. Only a few die hards voted for it (including Maria Miller the Minister for Women.) Fields pulling out felt very odd. Here.The government basically bought off the less loopy anti abortion MPs by creating a 'cross party' committee to discuss changes to abortion regulation. Diane Abbott resigned from this a while ago, saying that far from being open discussion it was totally dominated by those against abortion. Here.

This is the next step in time for conference. They will look for support from the religious right in exchange for cutting the time limits.

[Narked]

They've shown before that they will bend to a negative response from their own voters. You wouldn't need to vote for anyone else - just to abstain or eg vote green. The loss of a vote is enough to damage them.

We have a Health Secretary who buys into homeopathy. And whose opinion on this is not based on the fact that he's a Christian, oh no. It's based on the fact that it's 'fundamental moral issue'

[Ponyofdoom]

Interesting. We pro-choicers really need to get organised or it could all snowball and end up like the US..
I think this has really done it for me and the Tories, on top of HS2 destroying the countryside. I can't vote Green as I think they are still anti hunting but I will look into other parties.

[PeahenTailFeathers]

He is an absolute knobber. I think that lowering the age to 20 weeks might be a good idea with the improved survival rates, but to talk about 12 weeks is idiotic.

I don't think abortion should be bandied about as a political or moral issue - it's a medical procedure that is no one's business but the woman's.

[SarryB]

12 weeks. The man quite clearly knows NOTHING about women, pregnancy or abortion.

[VeritableSmorgasbord]

Good on you for emailing.
The worst thing about this govt is the impotence one feels as they slowly, slowly chip away at the things the people (whom they supposedly serve, ha ha) have fought for over the years.

[SarryB]

I might do a Rachel from Friends here.

"No uterus, no opinion".

[PeahenTailFeathers]

I thought the same, SarryB. But I don't understand why anyone has to have an opinion on abortion because it's nothing to do with anybody else.

[Teamthrills]

Between Jeremy Hunt & Michael Gove, they are doing a wonderful job of messing up this country. What a pair of twats.

[lovebunny]

12 weeks? prof vivien glover suggested that the fetus feels pain from around 13 weeks. perhaps that's why twelve weeks seemed reasonable to jeremy hunt.

[Panzee]

Beautifully put,teamthrills.

[seeker]

Prof Vivette Glover suggested in 2000 that the foetus might have sensation earlier than prevously though. Nobody agreed with her.

[BeckAndCall]

He did say it was on the basis of having studied the evidence - so he might be referring to Prof Glovers research

Even so, he's made a dreadful mistake in coming out with his conclusion before sharing the evidence and letting us all know WHY he's come to that conclusion. No matter how good the evidence there is no way he will gain any support for his conclusion if he hasn't started with the facts, whatever they are.

Bad political mistake by him, I'm afraid - you can't take the most divisive issue in women's politics, make a pronouncement and expect anyone to engage in serious debate with you about a potential policy change when you've already drawn your line in the sand so far away from the one that at least half of the electorate are standing firmly behind. (guessing on the 'half', there)