MPs vote to force abortion regulations on schools in Northern Ireland

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MPs have today voted overwhelmingly to bring in regulations which will force secondary schools in Northern Ireland to teach children aged 11-16 that they have a right to abortion.

The result of the vote on the regulations, which have caused controversy in Northern Ireland, was announced on Wednesday afternoon in the House of Commons, to the dismay of pro-life campaigners.

MPs voted 373 to 28 in support of the Relationships and Sexuality Education (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2023.

Both SDLP MPs, Clare Hanna, and party leader Colm Eastwood, voted in favour of the regulations, along with Alliance MP Stephen Farry. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also voted for the regulations to be imposed.

Seven DUP MPs voted against the regulations, including party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and outspoken pro-life MP Carla Lockhart. MP Ian Paisley was the only DUP MP for which a vote was not recorded.

Outside of the DUP, Independent MP Scott Benton voted to reject the regulations, along with 20 members of the Conservative Party, including MPs Fiona Bruce, Miriam Cates, Eddie Hughes, Sir Edward Leigh, and Sir Desmond Swayne.

Meanwhile, a total 246 MPs did not record a vote, including all seven Sinn Féin Members, who have an abstentionist policy at Westminster.

Pro-life group Right to Life UK said the result was “disappointing” but thanked those who had contacted their MPs to ask them to vote against the regulations.

The Department of Education will now develop guidance that will determine how the regulations will be implemented in schools, it said.

The regulations, which have faced criticism from church leaders, as well as members of the DUP and TUV, will bring an end to secondary schools in the province having the right to decide on abortion teaching in line with their individual ethos.

In a sharp statement earlier this month, senior Church leaders rejected the Westminster regulations, slamming the proposals as “overreach” while emphasising the rights of parents.In a statement released earlier this month, following the Summer General Meeting of the Bishops’ Conference in Maynooth, Catholic leaders said they had “grave concerns” about the plans, adding that there is “no such thing as a neutral view on abortion”. They also drew attention to the fact that such legislation is not imposed in second level schools in Britain.

The statement, published in the names of Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh, Apostolic Administrator of Dromore and Primate of All Ireland; Bishop Donal McKeown, Bishop of Derry and Apostolic Administrator of Down and Connor; Bishop Larry Duffy, Bishop of Clogher; and Bishop Michael Router, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Armagh, described the regulations as a form of “ideological colonisation”.

“Having already imposed some of the most radical abortion laws in the world on the people of Northern Ireland, without their consent, the Secretary of State now seems determined to impose an ideologically biased view of abortion on all schools, irrespective of parental rights or school ethos,” the Catholic leaders said.

“The Secretary of State, and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, need to move away from their tendency to ideological colonisation in this area, and trust parents, teachers, young people and local politicians in Northern Ireland to balance the rights and responsibilities involved,” bishops added.

The incoming regulations will amend previous local education laws in relation to Key State 3 and 4 pupils. They will also obligate the Department of Education to provide guidance on the content and delivery of the curriculum, to be provided by 1st January 2024.

MPs have today voted overwhelmingly to bring in regulations which will force secondary schools in Northern Ireland to teach children aged 11-16 that they have a right to abortion.