British Prime Minister Theresa May has decided that she will stand against any Parliamentary vote on changes to the abortion laws of Northern Ireland in light of recent legislative changes that will allow women to terminate their pregnancies in Ireland. She doesn’t want MPs coming in with a pro-choice agenda and forcing it on the North, even if the rest of the country has become more progressive and voted on it.
Last Saturday, a landmark referendum result came in favour of lifting the ban on abortion that had been enforced by the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland.
It is not that May takes a pro-life stance herself or anything personal. It’s just that she worries that if the UK government tries to rock the boat too much with Northern Ireland, it could backfire and lead to further tensions between them.
Northern Ireland is facing pressure to have its own referendum
Since Ireland have had this referendum, there have been calls for the Northern region to hold their own referendum for a change to the abortion policy. But with the suggestions that Parliament should vote on it, a justice minister told the BBC that it would be “very, very dangerous” if it looked like British politicians were trying to tell the people of NI which way to vote, especially on a matter that is important to them.
