Why Does The Conservative Party’s Vice Chair For Women Want A Debate On Abortion Law?

Jacob Rees-Mogg isn't the only anti-abortion member of the Conservative Party. In an interview with The House Magazine Maria Caulfield, MP for Lewes and Vice Chair for Women, has said that she thinks the upper limit for abortion should be reduced.

As things stand, the latest point in a pregnancy at which a woman can have an abortion is 24 weeks, it has been so since the 1967 Abortion Act was introduced. Caulfield, who is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, thinks we should have a national debate on lowering this limit to reflect medical advancements which mean more premature babies could survive.

Speaking to *The House *she said 'I think we need to have that debate. I'm not someone who's hard and fast in any of those kind of views. But I think we do need to have that debate'.

She continued 'the 24-week limit was introduced at a time when babies were not really viable at 24 weeks. Now babies who are born premature grow up to live long, healthy lives like the rest of us'.

WATCH: Meet The Woman Who Fought To Make Abortion Legal In 1967

Caulfield justified her stance by saying that England has 'one of the most liberal abortion laws in the world', comparing it to Ireland where the forthcoming referendum is 'only looking at termination up to 12 weeks'.

The Conservative MP also said that 'in most parts of Europe it's 15, 16 weeks. With medical advances, we've got babies born now 18, 19 weeks. I think it's something like 50 per cent of babies after 22 weeks are viable and yet abortion is still freely available up to 24 weeks'.

Such a point of view is predicated firmly on the believe that abortion law should be decided based on the viability of the life of the unborn child and not the health or wishes of its mother.

This isn't the first time Caulfield's views on abortion have been criticised. Last year she spoke out against the decriminalisation of abortionwhich expert groups such as the British Pregnancy Advisory Serviceand the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists are in favour of.

When Caulfield was appointed Vice Chair for Women of the Conservative Party earlier this year, BPAS said they were 'shocked' and 'incredibly disappointed' that 'the Conservative Party has decided to appoint as their Vice-Chair for Women an MP who supports the criminalisation of women who end their own pregnancies'.

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They added, 'just last year, Caulfield led the parliamentary opposition to a bill which would have decriminalised abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy'. Indeed, this bill would have trumped the 1861 Offences Against the Person Actdid not progress through parliament because of the snap general election but had it done, it would have supported women who purchased abortion medication online. It tends to be vulnerable women who do this, the bill would have supported them.

'That the new Conservative Vice-Chair for Women believes that these women should face up to life imprisonment is appalling' said BPAS, pointing out that she has also previously said she 'wants to be a "voice for the unborn child".'

One in three women will have an abortion in their lifetime and living in a country (with the exception of Northern Ireland) where we have 'some of the most liberal laws' to facilitate that is something to be proud of. It should be easier not harder for women to access this procedure. As for lowering the limit, Department for Health and Social Care statistics show that 1.6% of abortions in 2016 were carried out after 19 weeks, and BPAS found about a third of later abortions are performed because a serious problem has been found with the developing foetus. These statistics underscore how vital it is for women to be able to access later abortions should they need to do so.

Responding to Caulfield's comments, Sophie Walker, Leader of the Women's Equality Party, told *The Debrief *in a statement: 'it makes a mockery of the Conservatives' supposed commitment to equality that the MP in charge of reaching out to women wants to roll back their rights'.

'Women need more control over their own bodies, not less. We know that only a tiny proportion of abortions take place at a later stage - and that there are often complicated reasons, such as health concerns or domestic violence, behind those decisions.'

'Any update to legislation must recognise that abortion is a matter for medical professionals, not the criminal justice system'.

'That is why the Women's Equality Party is calling for abortion to be decriminalised. Women will never have equality until they have full control over their own bodies'

Follow Vicky on Twitter @Victoria_Spratt

This article originally appeared on The Debrief.