Local MP’s Abortion Protest Ban Wins Commons Vote
Rupa Huq wants to see the restrictions in Ealing used nationwide
Pro-life protestor being arrested outside Ealing clinic. Picture: Met Police
A bill presented by the House of Commons to restrict protests outside abortion clinics has won a vote in the House of Commons attracting cross party support.
Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central and Acton, is proposing that The Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) that was obtained by Ealing Council in 2018 outside the Marie Stopes Clinic on Mattock Lane be made more easily available to all local authorities.
Ms Huq, said her private member’s bill was not about the rights and wrongs of abortion but aimed to allow women to access medical procedures without the risk of harassment. It has been claimed that protestors showed images of foetuses to women seeking termination at the Ealing clinic.
Ealing’s PSPO is being challenged in the European Court of Human Rights by pro-life campaigners. The applicant, Alina Dulgheriu, claims the PSPO criminalises speech, assembly, charitable support, and prayer, including silent prayer. Ms Dulgheriu met a pro-life volunteer at the gates of the Ealing abortion centre which she had visited during an unwanted pregnancy and was persuaded to keep her child. The Be Here For Me group say that many women have been helped by the vigils outside the clinic.
MPs voted in favour of Ms Huq’s bill by 213 to 47 and it will receive a second reading in September. Private Member’s Bills are rarely inacted into law without the support of the government and although some prominent Conservatives such as Sir Bernard Jenkin and Andrew Mitchell voted in favour, it is not clear at this stage whether the government will back it. Sajid Javid, when Home Secretary, rejected a similar proposal as disproportionate.
A spokesperson for the Home Office said, "This is a sensitive and complex issue, which is why last year we conducted an in-depth review of protests outside abortion clinics.
"The right to protest is a vital part of a democratic society, but it is completely unacceptable that anyone should feel harassed or intimidated, and we are clear we expect the police to take action in such cases.
"There are already powers in place for police and local authorities to restrict harmful protests, and the previous home secretary asked the police to work closely with abortion services, to ensure that all those visiting these services are not subjected to harassment or intimation."
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |
June 27, 2020