Abortion MPs to vote this summer on whether to decriminalise

MPs are expected to vote on whether to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales this summer.

- Hannah Al-Othman

Two Labour backbenchers, Tonia Antoniazzi and Stella Creasy, are believed to be putting forward separate amendments to government legislation to change the law.

For six decades, abortion in England and Wales has been largely governed by the Abortion Act 1967, which has allowed women to end their pregnancies under medical supervision up to 24 weeks, or beyond in certain circumstances, such as if the mother's life is at risk or if the foetus has a serious abnormality.

In 2020, emergency legislation introduced during the Covid pandemic brought in telemedicine, the biggest shake-up in abortion provision since 1967. Instead of women wanting an abortion in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy needing to take the first pill under medical supervision, they could receive both pills by post after a remote consultation.

It was made permanent in 2022, with MPs voting 215 in favour to 188 against.