Saturday, January 22, 2011

Labour Party's abortion stance attacked

The Pro Life Campaign (PLC) has described as ''rank hypocrisy'' the Labour Party's position on abortion.

Responding to party-leader Eamon Gilmore's recent statement that Labour would, in government, legislate for abortion in cases where the life and health of the mother were at risk, Dr Ruth Cullen of PLC said Mr Gilmore's apparently limited assertion did not stand up to scrutiny.

''The Labour Party's position on abortion actually appears quite restrictive until you examine it closely,'' she said this week.

''In reality there is no question that, if legislated for, it would be abortion on demand in this country.''

Accusing the party of ignoring the distinction between necessary medical treatments in pregnancy and the intentional killing of a foetus, Dr Cullen added: ''Its policy is almost identical to the grounds on which abortion was introduced in Britain and we know that has led to abortion on demand up to birth.

''Quite frankly, it is rank hypocrisy for Labour to claim to be a defender of the most marginalised in society while at the same time having a policy that ignores the humanity of the unborn child throughout the entire nine months of pregnancy.''

The PLC's criticism came ahead of this week's announcement by the Boots pharmacy chain that it is to begin offering the morning-after pill to women, drawing warnings that women would not receive the proper counselling before opting to take the pill.

SIC: IC/IE