NI women to get abortions on NHS in England

Oh and Sir Peter Bottomley deserves a shout out as well.

No problem with that either, Lass, though obviously I would prefer women to be able to access abortion closer to home

I'd have had Leadsom down as an anti-choicer too, but thinking about it that's because I don't know much about her and I was relying on stereotypes. A useful little reminder to me not to do so, especially on issues like this

Good news, and I'm happy for my tax to be used towards women from NI receiving abortions in England

As you already are for women from Scotland.

Never thought I'd say "Hurrah for Andrea Leadsom and Amber Rudd!" But they do seem to have thrown their weight behind this, along with some other influential Tory women with one obvious exception

Leadsom was a real surprise. Rudd I'd have assumed could have gone either way but I'd have put money on Leadsom being anti- choice.

Equalities is an England only department, I think, as equalities is a devolved issue

Good news, and I'm happy for my tax to be used towards women from NI receiving abortions in England. I find it hard to believe that the numbers will be big enough to make a massive dent in anyone's budgets TBH

London: I've emailed them, thank you for the signposting

It's not coming out of NHS England's budget, it's a subsidy from the Equalities department, which afaik is a whole U.K. Department.

Never thought I'd say "Hurrah for Andrea Leadsom and Amber Rudd!" But they do seem to have thrown their weight behind this, along with some other influential Tory women with one obvious exception.

Polka, see here about hosting? www.asn.org.uk/volunteer/

I'd happily house those women for free. And I live very near the ferry, I'd bloody drive them to their appointments too. Where might one advertise this??

Do you begrudge it Elendon?

In other words the NHS in Northern Ireland, despite women working there and paying taxes will not be charged.

But those who go from Northern Ireland to the UK to have abortions will not now be charged. It will now come out of the NHS England's bill (and it's mostly England). The NHS England will be supplemented by the Government now for this.

This is extra tax upon those in Scotland and England and Wales.

People who live in Northern Ireland pay tax to HMRC as well.

On C4 now. Fucking outrageous.

But some good has come from the DUP disaster

@Alittlepotofrosie speaking as someone from NI, on this I'll take what I can get and keep on aiming for more in future. It feels like a huge victory from my point of view.

MOstly There are also GPs in England who will not refer a woman to an abortion clinic and I know this from my own personal experience.

Just wondering if this thread should be moved to chat for more traffic?

This is brilliant news. Thank you to all the UK MPs and MNetters who helped make it happen.

so several hundred women a year travel to England for late procedures

Those poor women. Not only being in that situation, but having to do it miles from home and family.

Elendon, one of the interesting (and shocking) things I've discovered on here in the last few weeks (backed up by googling reputable news sources) is that Scotland also exports its abortions to England; there are next to no hospitals in Scotland which will do late term surgical abortions, so several hundred women a year travel to England for late procedures.

MOstly I do hope the BMA get through the decrim of abortion. That would really be a victory for all.

But the supply and demand (not rule) agreement with the DUP means that this was never going to be paid for by the NHS in Northern Ireland. This is extra tax upon those in Scotland and England and Wales. For a few thousand women who need this vital aspect of health care. I hope it comes out of the 1.5 billion the DUP got for this supply and demand agreement.

Though the question of where women will find the airfare to England and somewhere to stay remains an open question.

I think I read somewhere that, in Germany, feminists rented buses and openly advertised for "abortion trips" to the Netherlands back when abortions were illegal (and punished; technically they're still illegal) in Germany.
Apparently it worked and police didn't dare to attack, as violently pulling women out of the bus would have looked rather bad in the media.

Not as easy with the ferry, but perhaps something can be done to reduce cost for those in need? A "pay what you can afford" scheme or something.