Diane Abbott, the Shadow Health Minister, responds to the defeat of the abortion amendments, having led Labour’s response during the debate:

07 Sep 2011
Diane Abbott, the Shadow Health Minister, responds to the defeat of the abortion amendments, having led Labour’s response during the debate:

‘I welcome the fact that these proposals have been defeated, although I am surprised that so many Tory MPs, including cabinet ministers voted for the anti-choice proposals.

‘What women and families across the country have seen has been a campaign driven by misinformation, and fuelled by the government’s lack of leadership. The result has been a political car-crash.

‘The anti-choice campaign and the government’s response have shown real contempt for our health professionals, and also women and families across the country.

‘So I was surprised by the response of Anne Milton, the Public Health Minister. Although she stopped short of supporting the plans, she seemed to be paving the way to making a number of dangerous concessions to the far-right at some point in the future.

‘It has also been diversion from the some of the deep problems this government faces. There is no evidence-base of the failings of the counselling regime that the anti-choice campaign has talked about. So parliamentarians must be watchful of a return to this agenda.

-ENDS -

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