Precious Life say “SDLP has committed Political Suicide” with u-turn on abortion
Precious Life say “SDLP has committed Political Suicide” with u-turn on abortion
Northern Ireland’s leading pro-life group Precious Life has said the hypocrisy of the SDLP’s new position on abortion means the party has now committed “political suicide.” The pro-life group was responding to the SDLP’s decision at a party conference on Saturday (19 May) to allow Party members to pick and choose whether unborn children should be protected.
Precious Life held a protest outside the Party Conference, when the SDLP claimed it is “a pro-life party”, but voted to support “freedom of conscience voting” on abortion. Party Leader Colum Eastwood has also announced that he supports a ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum in the Irish Republic to scrap the ‘8th Amendment’ of the Irish Constitution. The ‘8th Amendment’ is the only legal protection left in Ireland for unborn children. Repealing the Amendment would open the door to abortion-on-demand, right up to the moment of birth.
Director of Precious Life Bernadette Smyth said, “The SDLP now stand guilty of downright hypocrisy!”
“During the last election, they told us that the SDLP ‘…is a pro‑life Party with a long standing and consistent position on the protection of the life of the unborn child.’
“Their position is now totally inconsistent. They’re either pro-life or they’re not. They’re either against abortion, or they’re not. But they can’t be both. This is disingenuous, misleading and confusing.”
She added, “The Party has lots of policies that members cannot have a ‘conscience vote’ on. Yet the SDLP now say it’s ok to pick and choose whether or not to protect the life of an unborn child.”
“They boast that the party was born out of the Civil Rights movement and claim their vision of peace, justice, and human and civil rights is for all. They claim they want to build a better Ireland where we truly cherish all the children of the nation equally. But now they will have to add the disclaimer that ‘all’ does not include our unborn children. They’re no longer a civil rights party, because civil rights begin in the womb.
“The SDLP’s u-turn on abortion has shocked SDLP grassroot supporters and will harm the party. Therefore the Party has committed political suicide. We urge all their supporters to continue contacting the Party and tell them they can no longer vote for an SDLP that does not protect the most fundamental human right – the right to life itself.
Bernadette Smyth concluded, “Sinn Fein used to taunt the SDLP by referring to them as the ‘Stoop Down Low Party’. But by abandoning their pro-life position, the SDLP has now earned that name!”.