Former Conservative MP Miriam Cates has strongly criticised proposed amendments to abortion laws, warning that Britain could soon have “one of the most extreme abortion regimes in the world.”
In an article published in The Telegraph, Cates urged Parliament to reject amendments brought forward by Labour MPs Stella Creasy and Tonia Antoniazzi that seek to decriminalise abortion up to the point of birth.
To contact your MP, and ask them to oppose abortion up to birth, go to: http://righttolife.org.uk/uptobirth. It only takes 30 seconds!
The proposals are set to be debated next week as part of upcoming amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill. If passed, the legislation would remove criminal penalties for women who undergo abortions at any stage of pregnancy.
Under current UK law, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks of gestation. Terminations beyond that point are only permitted in exceptional circumstances, such as risks to the life or health of the mother or severe fetal abnormalities.
Cates called the proposed changes “abhorrent” and claimed they are out of step with public opinion. “Just 1 per cent of British people support abortion up to birth,” she wrote, citing polling data. “How is such a wildly unpopular opinion on the verge of becoming law?”
She also criticised the introduction of “pills-by-post” abortion access, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This temporary policy allowed women to receive abortion medication at home following a teleconsultation, without a face-to-face appointment. The system was made permanent in 2022.
Cates argued that this approach has led to unsafe outcomes, citing the case of Carla Foster, who in 2023 was found guilty of taking abortion pills at eight months pregnant after falsely claiming to be only seven weeks along. Another case highlighted was that of Stuart Worby, who was jailed in December 2024 for covertly administering abortion pills to a woman by spiking her drink.
“In just 18 months after pills-by-post was introduced, some estimates suggest that more than 10,000 women had to receive hospital treatment after taking abortion pills at home,” Cates wrote.
She contended that instead of reconsidering the safety of the system, abortion-rights advocates have used recent prosecutions to push for full decriminalisation. “The consequences of full decriminalisation will be grim,” she warned, referencing reported outcomes in Victoria, Australia, such as increases in late-term terminations, coercion, and failed abortions resulting in live births.
“Abortion is a sensitive issue and there is no public consensus on what the legal time limit should be,” Cates said. “But in a society where human rights are respected and the vulnerable protected, it is unthinkable that there should be no consequences for ending the life of an unborn, fully-formed human child.”
The amendments have sparked intense political debate. Advocates argue decriminalisation would better protect women from prosecution and ensure access to reproductive healthcare, while opponents fear it could remove vital safeguards.
A vote on the proposed changes is expected in the House of Commons next week.
Read Miriam’s full article in the Telegraph here.
To contact your MP, and ask them to oppose abortion up to birth, go to: http://righttolife.org.uk/uptobirth. It only takes 30 seconds!
