In a letter to Scotland’s catholic parishes, the Director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office, Anthony Horan has urged catholic members of the BMA to sign an open letter to the organisation urging delegates to the BMA conference next Tuesday (27 June) to reject a motion calling for abortion to be decriminalised.
In the latter Anthony Horan points out that support from the BMA for decriminalisation could open a door to: “Sex-selective abortions, mail-order abortions and the distribution of abortion pills on school premises”
Mr Horan’s letter also points out that liberalising abortion law, “would be in stark contrast to the views of the public, the vast majority of whom want to see a reduction in the number of abortions and in the permitted time limit.”
A ComRes poll released last month shows that most people (60%) wanted lower time limits. Among women support for a reduction was even higher at 70%. 61% of Scots were opposed to any moves towards compelling doctors to participate in abortion procedures against their will and 82% believed that there should be a waiting period of five days between an initial consultation with a doctor and an abortion taking place. Crucially, only 1% of those polled wanted to see the abortion time limit raised to birth. These finds reveal a medical association completely at variance with the public it serves.”