SDLP's Nichola Mallon U-turn on being "pro-life"
The Westminster Government has recently said it intends to take on new powers to force the NI Executive to provide abortions. Westminster forced abortion legislation on Northern Ireland in 2019 through Section 9 of the ‘NI Executive Formation Act’. Health Trusts implemented limited abortion in Northern Ireland on 31 March last year. Latest official figures reveal that 1345 unborn babies have been killed since then.
In October 2019, the SDLP’s Nichola Mallon told the Belfast Telegraph: "Decisions affecting the lives of people living in Northern Ireland should be taken by a locally elected and accountable Assembly...Review and reform of abortion laws should be done by an Assembly not remotely by Westminster. This legislation is extreme and I do not support it."
Now in a complete U-turn, she has told The Irish News (2 April) about her “growing frustration” with the “blocking of abortion” in Northern Ireland.
The Irish News reported that the SDLP Infrastructure Minister and MLA for North Belfast “appears deeply frustrated” that Westminster’s abortion legislation still hasn’t been fully implemented in Northern Ireland.
The Irish News also said that she “previously would've described herself as pro-life”. But now when pressed on whether supporting the commissioning of abortion is at variance with her moral views, she stressed that her responsibilities as Minister come first. "As an executive minister I have legal obligations and so I won’t shy away from my legal obligations," she said.
She also said that abortion “…should be being dealt with by the executive but it’s being blocked by the DUP." Ms Mallon then accused the DUP of “picking and choosing” which parts of the law it wants to adhere to.
TAKE ACTION
Contact Nichola Mallon and respectfully tell her that, as a public representative and a Minister in the NI Executive, her first responsibility must be to uphold the fundamental right to life of every person – born or unborn – in Northern Ireland.
She cannot ‘pick and choose’ whose rights should be protected in Northern Ireland. She must tell the NI Executive that all babies in the womb must be protected in law, policy and practice.
Tell her she must also uphold the Good Friday Agreement’s principles of democracy and devolution by opposing any attempt by Westminster to remotely interfere in decisions affecting the lives of people living in Northern Ireland.
If you live in the North Belfast Constituency and voted for Nichola Mallon in good faith that she was ‘pro-life’- tell her she must honour her commitments not to support Westminster’s extreme abortion legislation. If she will not commit to protecting unborn babies from abortion, tell her you will not vote for her in any future elections.
You can contact Nichola Mallon by email / telephone / facebook / twitter / instagram
Email: nichola.mallon@mla.niassembly.gov.uk
Tel : 028 9515 0100
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NicholaMallon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicholaMallonMLA/
Instgram : https://www.instagram.com/nicholamallonmla/