The new government’s plans are good news for home builders and green energy specialists, but not for the unborn
Things are looking dire for unborn babies after 15 pro-life Tory MPs lost their seats. And with abortion already at unprecedented levels in Britain, a pro-abortion leader has hailed the new parliament as the most pro-abortion in history. However, hope remains after independent, pro-life candidates stood for election
STILL IN:
Labour’s Mary Glindon, Carla Lockhart of the DUP and Liberal Democrat Tim Farron
OUT:
Fiona Bruce, Caroline Ansell, Miriam Cates, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Liam Fox
We mourn the loss of Fiona Bruce, Miriam Cates and Caroline Ansell
Globally, abortion is by far the biggest cause of death. We kill 1.4 million babies by abortion every single week and we have killed more than two billion in the last 70 years. No famine or war comes close. In the last parliament, there were already too few voices speaking up for these precious children. Now, sadly, 15 Tory MPs who have stood for the unborn or pro-lifers over the years have lost their seats.
Fiona Bruce, a stalwart of the pro-life cause during her 14 years in parliament and vice-chair of the ‘All Parliamentary Pro-life Group’, is no longer an MP. Nor are well-known pro-life voices Sir Liam Fox and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.
We also mourn the loss of Miriam Cates as an MP, who has not only taken a courageous stand for the unborn but has been a vocal defender of Christian principles across the board. Another voice that will be much missed in opposition is that of Caroline Ansell. Andrew Lewer MBE and Derek Thomas are two other pro-life casualties.
It’s not just those who have stood firmly across all pro-life issues; even some of the less full-throttled support from the likes of Victoria Prentis and Maria Caulfield has gone.
All this is good news for the ‘pro-choice’ activists. Heidi Stewart, CEO of The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), told The Independent that this parliament could be the most pro-abortion in history.
She said: “The last parliament saw unprecedented attacks on our abortion rights, no doubt emboldened by the global attack on abortion. The anti-abortion lobby was well-resourced, well-funded, and well-connected. And through several anti-abortion MPs, they were able to pose a significant threat to the provision of abortion.”
Ms Stewart has also expressed a wish that the incoming Labour government will “urgently progress the implementation of safe access zones, and decriminalise abortion for women in England and Wales.”
This does not make for comforting reading. The Criminal Justice Bill, which could allow for abortion up to birth, was due for a vote in June but the snap general election meant it was cancelled.
Now Labour MPs Stella Creasy and Diana Johnson, who had proposed amendments to the Bill that would decriminalise abortion, potentially right up until birth, are back in parliament, whereas Sir Liam Fox and Caroline Ansell, who had tabled amendments to lower the abortion limits for both Down’s Syndrome and healthy babies, are no longer in parliament.
Yet there is some light in this otherwise dark tunnel and certainly much we can pray for. Ten pro-life MPs have retained their positions and this issue does not always split along party lines. Labour’s Mary Glindon, Carla Lockhart of the DUP and Liberal Democrat Tim Farron are among them.
Around the world, an estimated 73 million babies lose their lives to abortion every year. In the UK, we have aborted more than ten million babies since the Abortion Act was passed in 1967.
The largest number ever recorded across the UK was in 2022, when we surpassed a quarter of a million abortions at 267,974, a 17% rise over the previous year. That meant over 700 babies per day lost their lives to abortion in 2022 alone.
THE CANDIDATES WHO SPOKE UP FOR BABIES
This election saw, for the first time, 22 independent candidates stand solely for unborn babies and their mothers. The Vote Life campaign saw leaflets delivered to more than one million homes.
Each Vote Life champion raised the £500 candidate’s fee, plus around £800 towards the government’s costs in printing leaflets that Royal Mail delivered to every home in their prospective constituency. The leaflets featured a picture of a living, developing baby in the womb at six weeks following fertilisation, showing clearly that a baby in the womb is undeniably human. However, as with so many of God’s truths, when the reality of abortion is exposed, it causes the world to bite back. Vote Life candidate Pauline Peachy, who was challenging Diana Johnson’s seat, was forced to defend the leaflets to the BBC after some constituents complained that the pictures of the unborn child were “disgusting” and “inappropriate”. But the fuss gave the pro-life cause free airtime and Pauline was able to pose the question: “What is outrageous about a picture of a baby developing in the womb?” What indeed?
Pro-abortion MP Stella Creasy was challenged by Vote Life candidate Ruth Rawlins, who bravely faced off against Stella, six other candidates and a hostile public at a hustings in Walthamstow. In total, Vote Life amassed 5,276 votes across 22 constituencies. I give thanks for my brothers and sisters who are willing to take such a stand; let’s pray that many eyes have been opened by their valiant efforts.