Farage's abortion plans would be catastrophic for women, say campaigners

Nigel Farage’s plans to restrict access to abortion would have “catastrophic consequences for women”, campaigners have warned.

- ARCHIE MITCHELL

The Reform UK leader this week said it is “ludicrous we allow abortion up to 24 weeks” and that the law is “totally out of date”.

MPs and charities have hit back, saying there is “no clinical justification” for reducing the time limit and warned against the “imposition of cruel restrictions” on women seeking abortions.

Stella Creasy, a Labour MP campaigning for a human right to safe and legal abortion, said Mr Farage’s comments on abortion were “all part of the Trumpian playbook” – a reference to his close ties to the US president.

Speaking to The Independent after Mr Farage’s speech on Tuesday, Ms Creasy said: “It is not something he has thought deeply about, but somebody has sat him down and said ‘they are killing babies at birth’.

“There is a shed load of cash coming into anti-abortion activism, so everyone who thinks this could never happen in the UK needs to understand they are not coming in saying they are going to stop all abortions, they are saying ‘babies could live at…’ or ‘shouldn’t women see a doctor before they have one’, and it all sounds very reasonable.

“But in reality, it is a way of restricting access.”