UK Government set to force abortions in Northern Ireland

The UK Government has announced plans to override the devolution settlement in Northern Ireland and force health boards to carry out abortions.

In a written statement on Thursday, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said work has begun on regulations to "take the necessary powers to directly commission abortion services".

Lewis said women and girls "must" have access to "abortion care" in Northern Ireland as they do everywhere else in the UK - despite the pro-life views of the vast majority of NI citizens.

Abortion was forced on NI by Westminster in 2019 when the NI Assembly wasn't functioning. However, the Northern Ireland Executive has not commissioned abortion due to staunch opposition at Stormont.

The Secretary of State will have the powers to intervene directly following the Assembly elections in May, if Northern Ireland politicians haven't acted by then.

This week, a bill to ban protests in the immediate vicinity of abortion clinics was passed in the Northern Ireland Assembly, prompting concern among pro-life and free speech activists.

Right To Life UK said a public consultation on the legislation showed that it was supported by only 13 out of 6,412 respondents in Northern Ireland.

Catherine Robinson of Right To Life UK said: “It is under the pretence of liberty and choice that women are being stripped of the ability to access support provided by peaceful pro-life volunteers.”

“Countless women have found the help and support they needed when kindly approached outside an abortion facility.

"This law change will prevent these women from having access to this vital support provided by peaceful pro-life volunteers.”