Furious UK doctors hit out at ‘extreme’ pro-abortion campaigners seeking to scrap the 24-week time limit on abortions
The British Medical Association are holding their annual conference in Bournemouth later this week, and abortion will be a top issue. In the run-up to the conference, infuriated doctors have slammed what they have labelled as ‘extreme’ pro-abortion campaigners who they fear will drive the trade union to back a highly controversial move to scrap the 24-week time limit on abortions in the UK. More than 1,000 doctors and medical students have warned the British Medical Association that the reputation of the medical profession will be ‘severely damaged’ if a motion demanding the decriminalisation of abortion is passed at its annual conference. The motion, which has been introduced by London doctors, states that all legal sanctions controlling abortion should be removed ‘up to viability’ which in the UK is understood to mean up to 24 weeks.
This is a very alarming and dangerous move for the UK, as there is absolutely no doubt that the next logical step up is throwing open the door to the legalisation of abortion up to the moment of birth, and if it were to become BMA policy, MPs and campaigners would intensify their efforts to force through reforms in Parliament. In a clear-cut letter to senior BMA officials, the Mail on Sunday reported that the medics state: ‘This motion is being promoted by a small group of campaigners with extreme views on abortion.’
The doctors stated that ‘whilst they are entitled to hold the convictions that they do, we must not let them impose their agenda on the BMA and risk severely damaging our reputation as a professional body. It would be unacceptable for the organisation that represents us to support the radical position (supported by only a small minority of women) that all legal protection for babies should be removed, possibly right through to birth.’One of the signatories, John Campbell, a professor of general practise and primary care at Exeter University, said that in current times doctors with pro-life convictions ‘felt it was very difficult to speak up.’ He went on to add, ‘It would be outrageous if this was passed and would lead to many doctors reviewing their position in respect to membership of the BMA. I would do that and I have been a member for 35 years.’
From what is happening in the UK at this moment in time, it is beyond doubt that the removal of Ireland’s 8th amendment will lead to abortion up to birth, despite claims from some abortion advocates that abortion will only be legalised for the ‘hard cases’ of rape, or disability for instance.