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Oxford MP leads abortion defence
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| Evan Harris |
Evan Harris will tonight spearhead a defence in Parliament of a woman's right to have an abortion up to 24 weeks into pregnancy.
The Oxford West and Abingdon MP will fight moves by pro-life campaigners to reduce the upper legal limit to 22 or even 20 weeks, on the grounds that there is "no good medical evidence" to support it.
The controversial issue will be debated in the form of amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill in the House of Commons.
Witney MP David Cameron and Wantage MP Ed Vaizey have both indicated they will vote for lower time limits because they believe scientific advances mean babies are now more likely to survive if delivered under 24 weeks.
But Dr Harris, the Liberal Democrats' science spokesman, told the Oxford Mail: "There is no good medical evidence to support any reduction in the current 24 week abortion time limit.
"Less than two per cent of abortions take place above 20 weeks' gestation and these involve the most vulnerable women in the most difficult personal circumstances who are not taking abortion lightly.
"Those who are against abortion should not punish this small group of women by denying them access to safe abortion but instead should support measures to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies by improving sex and relationships education and improving access to effective contraception."
Dr Harris, one of the most vocal defenders of the right to abortion, is one of 86 MPs who have backed a Parliamentary early day motion that argues the current 24-week limit is "ethically and scientifically justified".
The motion warns that reducing the abortion time limit would "force some women to continue a pregnancy and give birth against their will".
It cites a recent report by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, which concluded that below 24 weeks it had seen "no good evidence to suggest that the foetal viability has improved significantly since the abortion time limit was last set, and seen some good evidence to suggest that it has not".
9:20am Tuesday 20th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Dave, Kidlington on 10:01am Tue 20 May 08
A fact that the so-called pro-lifers like to overlook is that it's usually after a 20-week scan that foetal abnormalities are noticed - abnormalities that can seriously affect both the unborn foetus and the life of the parents. Recently that bastion of free thinking, The Daily Mail raged that the number of abortions has gone up massively since the abortion act was introduced, ignoring the fact that much of that is down to the improved detection rates for foetal abnormalities. Take away a woman's right to have an abortion after 20 weeks and you condemn thousands of parents and children to a life od suffering.
Well done to Evan Harris - a man with extensive scientific knowledge - for speaking up on this subject.
A fact that the so-called pro-lifers like to overlook is that it's usually after a 20-week scan that foetal abnormalities are noticed - abnormalities that can seriously affect both the unborn foetus and the life of the parents. Recently that bastion of free thinking, The Daily Mail raged that the number of abortions has gone up massively since the abortion act was introduced, ignoring the fact that much of that is down to the improved detection rates for foetal abnormalities. Take away a woman's right to have an abortion after 20 weeks and you condemn thousands of parents and children to a life od suffering.
Well done to Evan Harris - a man with extensive scientific knowledge - for speaking up on this subject.
Posted by: bev albany, n oxon on 10:38am Tue 20 May 08
We are not talking about foetal abnormalities are we though, because they would be excluded by the amendment? The Daily Mail may not be to the liking of the extreme left any more than the Stalinist rag the Guardian is to mine but to talk about a woman's "right" to kill her child is a little silly, even for a lefty. As human beings we have all a duty not to kill others unless they threaten our existence: and women are exactly as human as men, so don't belittle them Mr. Kidlington
We are not talking about foetal abnormalities are we though, because they would be excluded by the amendment? The Daily Mail may not be to the liking of the extreme left any more than the Stalinist rag the Guardian is to mine but to talk about a woman's "right" to kill her child is a little silly, even for a lefty. As human beings we have all a duty not to kill others unless they threaten our existence: and women are exactly as human as men, so don't belittle them Mr. Kidlington
Posted by: Fred, Oxford on 12:28pm Tue 20 May 08
It should be a woman's right to do whatever she wants. It's her body, so it should be her absolute decision.
It should be a woman's right to do whatever she wants. It's her body, so it should be her absolute decision.
Posted by: Claire on 1:12pm Tue 20 May 08
The Guardian, Stalinist? Dear god, you really are very deluded person aren't you? And i don't think the original post was belittling women at all, was it? Looks like it's sticking up for their right to choose - a right the christian right and assorted moralist bigots would happily remove.
The Guardian, Stalinist? Dear god, you really are very deluded person aren't you? And i don't think the original post was belittling women at all, was it? Looks like it's sticking up for their right to choose - a right the christian right and assorted moralist bigots would happily remove.
Posted by: Phil Gale, Oxford on 2:49pm Tue 20 May 08
[quote]It should be a woman's right to do whatever she wants. It's her body, so it should be her absolute decision.[/quote]
I take it, then, that you would prefer abortion on demand to be allowed at any point up until birth? or maybe until the umbilical cord has been cut after birth?
I don't think that absolutist arguments get us very far - on either 'side'.
It should be a woman's right to do whatever she wants. It's her body, so it should be her absolute decision.
I take it, then, that you would prefer abortion on demand to be allowed at any point up until birth? or maybe until the umbilical cord has been cut after birth?
I don't think that absolutist arguments get us very far - on either 'side'.
Posted by: Mike, Wantage on 3:09pm Tue 20 May 08
I bet all the pro abortion people are all for animal rights, anti hunting etc.
I bet all the pro abortion people are all for animal rights, anti hunting etc.
Posted by: chey, oxford on 4:31pm Tue 20 May 08
Being a young woman myself im not for or against abortion i like to think every abortion isnt taken lightly by any woman involved,my personal veiw is a abortion should be done before 20 weeks as if its done at 24 weeks and there is a chance of the baby suffering or being alive this cant be right,
Being a young woman myself im not for or against abortion i like to think every abortion isnt taken lightly by any woman involved,my personal veiw is a abortion should be done before 20 weeks as if its done at 24 weeks and there is a chance of the baby suffering or being alive this cant be right,
Posted by: C on 5:50pm Tue 20 May 08
I'm genuinely impressed that he manages to find the enthusiasm, time and energy for all these high-profile "right on" schemes that get his face in the paper. I'm a lot less impressed that he seems to have none to spare for the little people, I mean his constituents... seeing him jumping on any passing bandwagon is rather irritating when I find he comes 634th out of 637 MPs on writetothem.com's MP responsiveness league table.
I'm genuinely impressed that he manages to find the enthusiasm, time and energy for all these high-profile "right on" schemes that get his face in the paper. I'm a lot less impressed that he seems to have none to spare for the little people, I mean his constituents... seeing him jumping on any passing bandwagon is rather irritating when I find he comes 634th out of 637 MPs on writetothem.com's MP responsiveness league table.
Posted by: Big Bertha on 5:55pm Tue 20 May 08
I would like to terminate Dawn Prima-Roller because she has a genetic defect-the world's most boring voice. My right to choose?
I would like to terminate Dawn Prima-Roller because she has a genetic defect-the world's most boring voice. My right to choose?
Posted by: Mr Ison, England on 6:13pm Tue 20 May 08
Even Harris is Jewish.
As a Jew he sets a bad example.
Even Harris is Jewish.
As a Jew he sets a bad example.
Posted by: Mr Ison, England on 7:04pm Tue 20 May 08
In the States the coreligionists of Mr Harris run the abortion industry,Mr Harris is busy importing his coreliionists sloganising and expecting us all to play ignorant.
In the States the Abortion industry that Mr Harris is borrowing from also bomb their own premises to create a strawman argument for use against their opponents.
Since he is pulling a fast one can we expect his coreligionists to bomb theselves for the publicity?
Will the two chambers take importing terrorism into the equation when deliberating or will they once more avoid debating the salient isues for reasons best known only to themselves?
In the States the coreligionists of Mr Harris run the abortion industry,Mr Harris is busy importing his coreliionists sloganising and expecting us all to play ignorant.
In the States the Abortion industry that Mr Harris is borrowing from also bomb their own premises to create a strawman argument for use against their opponents.
Since he is pulling a fast one can we expect his coreligionists to bomb theselves for the publicity?
Will the two chambers take importing terrorism into the equation when deliberating or will they once more avoid debating the salient isues for reasons best known only to themselves?
Posted by: alan page on 10:12pm Tue 20 May 08
[quote][bold]Mr Ison[/bold] wrote:
Even Harris is Jewish. As a Jew he sets a bad example. [/quote] And MY contributions to this thread were removed?
Says an awful lot about values doesnt it?
Mr Ison wrote:
Even Harris is Jewish. As a Jew he sets a bad example.
And MY contributions to this thread were removed?
Says an awful lot about values doesnt it?
Posted by: Mr Ison, England on 3:29pm Wed 21 May 08
They do have integrity issues at the OM.
Living under New Labour,things didnt get better did they.
They do have integrity issues at the OM.
Living under New Labour,things didnt get better did they.
Posted by: Another C, Oxford on 11:39pm Wed 21 May 08
Evan Harris was elected as an MP to represent his constituents at Westminster. If I wanted him to concentrate on purely local issues, I'd expect him to resign and stand as a local councillor.
Anyone who knows anything about him knows, and knew well before the last election, that abortion issues were one of his great concerns. I doubt that anyone voting for him would have been surprised by his prominence in this debate.
Evan Harris was elected as an MP to represent his constituents at Westminster. If I wanted him to concentrate on purely local issues, I'd expect him to resign and stand as a local councillor.
Anyone who knows anything about him knows, and knew well before the last election, that abortion issues were one of his great concerns. I doubt that anyone voting for him would have been surprised by his prominence in this debate.
Posted by: Jeff, Oxford on 11:53pm Wed 21 May 08
What amuses me about Mr Ison is that he spends all day on this site posting surreal nonsense, and then tries to sneak in some heartfelt racist anti-semitic nonsense.
It's as if there are two people posting - the mild irrelevant idiot who transforms (possibly under medication) into a mouth-foaming loony. Which is the true Mr Ison?
What amuses me about Mr Ison is that he spends all day on this site posting surreal nonsense, and then tries to sneak in some heartfelt racist anti-semitic nonsense.
It's as if there are two people posting - the mild irrelevant idiot who transforms (possibly under medication) into a mouth-foaming loony. Which is the true Mr Ison?
Posted by: Pascal, Ireland on 11:28am Thu 22 May 08
Evan Harris is currently threatening to table an amendment to extend abortion to N Irlenad where we have democratically voted against this Act.
What do his constituents think of this?
Also regarding the first comment on foetal abnormality, under the Abortion Act you can abort to FULL TERM if the child in utero is disabled (see HFE ACT 1990 where this extention was made law)
Evan Harris is currently threatening to table an amendment to extend abortion to N Irlenad where we have democratically voted against this Act.
What do his constituents think of this?
Also regarding the first comment on foetal abnormality, under the Abortion Act you can abort to FULL TERM if the child in utero is disabled (see HFE ACT 1990 where this extention was made law)
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