TM will allow a debate on restricting abortion to cling on to power.

[catgirl1976]

AIBU to be disgusted? I'm reading that she will allow a UK debate on abortion limits to secure the DUP's support.

She's a disgrace. I don't care if you voted Tory or Labour or for Lord Buckethead, but surely any woman must feel appalled that their rights are up for sale to secure her (untenable anyway) position.

I don't think ethically its ok to abort a baby at 24+ weeks when there are other options.

Out of the 1 or 2 a year carried out in this country I don't think you will find one incidence where there are realistic other options.

Abortion should be on demand with no age limit. Chemical abortions should not need two trips to a clinic when pills can be safely taken at home.

It is a disgrace that British women living in the UK do not all have access to abortion and even when a woman travels from NI it is not available on the NHS.

Bribes aren't really necessary given that the DUP always did side with the Tories on important issues anyway

There is a ranting, sanctimonious thread lecturing UK voters about being ignorant about the DUP. You have just made a very good point- the DUP have always supported the Conservative and Unionist party on important issues. I saw the results, added the 10 DUP members in and thought she is through as there is no way the DUP would let a Tory government fall.

Why did Owen have to go in with the big guns straight away? Couldn't we just offer weekly Bible reading classes or something to get the DUP on side?

Fuck that. There is already too much christian privilege in the UK, we don't need more.

It just seems odd that in one hospital a child can be clinging to life that is born at the same number of weeks as one being aborted.

There's a difference. Although given the provenance of the word hysteria....

As expected. A derail but may I pre- empt " no one ever calls a man hysterical" response - because they do.

Babies are now surviving when born before 24 weeks - I personally know one.
I think there maybe could be a reason to move the limit to say 22 weeks unless there is possibly a medical need to abort after that stage.
I don't think it's something that can't be talked about anyway.

It is hysterical because it's wrong -no one is having a debate because there's been no Queens Speech so there's no indication on what the policy & legislative plans are. Read up on parliamentary process ffs.

Jesus, this place.

The Conservatives are not stupid and are very politically savvy. Look how they managed to pretty much destroy the LibDems as a force in British politics. I expect they will absolutely throw some bones to the DUP, like a debate on abortion, fully confident that it won't be voted in.

"We should be campaigning for access to abortion in Northern Ireland, instead we're having to defend the rights we have here"

This.

LaMonster it is not hysterical to be disgusted that the very first thing to be mentioned as a potential sop to the DUP is women's autonomy over their own bodies. The fact that this is even being talked about as a possible bone to throw them is a disgrace.

Even ignoring the ridiculous positions some people adopt in this thread, there is actually nothing to this story.

"Debates on the limit as medical science advances" are a thing that happens anyway, obviously, but even if "allowing a debate" were actually disgusting, OP and stories are scaremongering, these things can be "rolled back" by the DUP if the question has to go before parliament.

I also think goady and scaremongering threads about abortion to make political points are a thing that should not happen.

Perhaps it's just me.

I expect they will absolutely throw some bones to the DUP, like a debate on abortion, fully confident that it won't be voted in

The referendum on PR being the bone. If there is a vote on abortion it will be in the Commons. There is no reason to suppose the MPs who voted against a reduction last time will change their vote. There are more Labour MPs, who will presumably be more likely to be against a change.

I am disgusted! Tories will do anything to cling to power.

Seriously, there is no moral high ground in banning late term abortions. There are very few done at all, and those generally only for extremely sad medical reasons (e.g. after 20 week scan reveals abnormalities that are incompatible with life).

If you don't want a late term abortion, by all means -- DON'T HAVE ONE! Job done.

Leave women with the right to decide for themselves.

she's been a worry to me because she voted for this before.

I have written to my local MP, who is Conservative.

Once again, I find myself looking at the political landscape with utter horror.

Late-term abortions are not a thing that commonly happens when there is the opportunity to abort early. Really, what do forced-birthers think? That women intentionally wait with getting an abortion just so that they can torture babies? Really? This is beyond idiotic.

No one wants to have a late abortion. Forced-birthers are well aware of this. Restricting abortions is just a means of heating the water slowly. Soon they'll allow abortions only three weeks after conception, i.e. when you don't even know you are pregnant ... and then they'll ban the morning after pill.

Don't be fooled. Restricting abortions is about controlling and oppressing women, and nothing else.

Is there anyone that really thinks a woman gets to 22+ weeks of pregnancy and thinks "do you know what, I don't want this anymore" and then goes and gets an abortion for shits and giggles?

If so, you need to educate yourself.

sorry ollie I meant for the DUP actually, to keep them happy and occupied whilst everyone else cracks on.

I agree OP.

The issue here is using abortion as a political bargaining tool.

This thread contains a lot of hysteria over nothing. 'Debates on the limit as medical science advance' shouldn't be controversial, surely?

Most people don't currently support abortion up to term. The current abortion limit is 24 weeks, but some babies can now be born at 23-24 weeks to survive and grow up. Personally I think it is a good idea to have a sensible, reasoned debate on this issue, and to consider lowering the maximum gestation, perhaps to 20 or 22 weeks.

Why are we even discussing our abortion laws? They are not the problem. It is the NI abortion laws that we should focus on, they are the problem and they need to be dragged into the 21st century. If the DUP won't budge on women or gay rights then she shouldn't touch them with a barge pole, it only legitimises their outdated stance.

I fucking the being told to calm down and not be hysterical. The point is that we need to make it very, very clear, from the outset, that even thinking about maybe having a look at reducing abortion rights because the government now need to keep an anti choice party on side will result in massive opposition. I'm not going to sit around quietly nodding and listening and wait until they feel it's safe to suggest it. I'm going g to start shouting as soon as anyone hints that there may come a time when it's up for discussion, so that they know categorically it will never be safe to suggest it.
We should turn the tables and use this as an opportunity to get women's rights in NI into the mainstream UK agenda. Calm down? Fuck off. I'll calm down once there are no extremist misogynists in a position of power and influence.

The issue is with the casual way this Conservative politician threw this reference to abortion into the conversation. He clearly is happy to consider restricting women's rights in order to appease their DUP friends. I'm not surprised, it is disappointing and worrying. I think it's perfectly reasonable for people to be alarmed by this kind of casual comment on such an important issue.