There was pressure on Theresa May on Tuesday from pro-choice campaigners to encourage Northern Ireland to make their abortion laws more liberal and in-line with the rest of the UK.
Currently the law in Northern Ireland says abortion is only legal if the mother is in serious danger, physically or mentally, or if her life is at risk. Although Northern Ireland is part of the UK, abortion is one matter which is devolved to the parliament in Stormont.
The Conservative government in the UK are currently being propped up in a ‘confidence in supply’ system by ten Northern Irish MPs from the Democratic Unionist Party, who would not favour making terminations easier, meaning Theresa May could risk damaging her fine majority if she pushed for abortion to be easier.
The DUP leader, Arlene Foster said the referendum: “has no impact upon the law in Northern Ireland.”
Jim Shannon, the DUP MP for Strangford, agreed with his leader’s position. When asked if the mood had altered in Northern Ireland since the Republic of Ireland voted to legalise abortion, he told Premier: “If you listen to the media, you would say there has been but in reality, no, there hasn’t.
“I think it’s put an extra focus on it but it hasn’t changed the opinions of those in Northern Ireland who hold fast to what we have.”
He added: “We don’t ignore the fact that the referendum has taken place in…
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