The UK Parliament has voted this week by a wide margin to effectively decriminalise abortion up to the moment of birth.
The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, introduced by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, passed in the House of Commons with 379 votes in favour and 137 against—stripping away remaining legal protections for unborn children and removing criminal penalties for women who end their pregnancies at any stage, for any reason.
The vote represents the most radical change to abortion law in England and Wales in nearly six decades, going far beyond the previously established 24-week limit enshrined in the 1967 Abortion Act. Critics argue that the change removes essential safeguards, leaving fully developed, viable babies unprotected under law and exposing vulnerable women to increased risks of coercion, isolation, and unsafe, self-administered late-term abortions.
Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool condemned the decision as a “grave harm” to both mothers and unborn children, warning that the change “significantly reduces the protection of unborn lives.” He and other Church leaders have vowed to continue defending the dignity of life at all stages.
Pro-life groups, including the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) and Right to Life UK, expressed horror at the outcome. Alithea Williams of SPUC warned, “Even the very limited protection afforded by the law is being stripped away,” while Right to Life spokesperson Catherine Robinson accused Antoniazzi of hijacking a bill intended to address violent crime to push a radical abortion agenda with no public consultation.
Despite claims that prosecutions for abortion are increasing, official data reveals that only a handful of women have faced legal consequences in the last 160 years. Critics say the amendment was driven by ideological motives rather than evidence, and they now fear the loss of legal consequences will lead to more late-term abortions, including those where the unborn child could survive outside the womb.
The amendment does not change the clinical framework for abortion services, but it removes all criminal liability for women—leaving open the possibility that abortions could occur legally at full term without justification. Conservative MP Rebecca Paul called the development “deeply troubling” and warned of the moral and societal consequences of such an extreme legal shift.
The amendment must still pass through the House of Lords.
Image credit: Getty Images
Well that is most defiantly Murder.
Vile. An evil, cruel, rogue state, that gets worse with every breath or in this case, extinguished breath.
On this issue, NZ is worst as it allows for after birth as well, thanks to Ardern.
I just hope no doctor will assist and execute this kind of murder.
Outrageous