Majority of UK adults oppose abortion law change, poll finds

A new poll has found that most UK adults oppose proposals to decriminalise abortion, including late-term procedures up to birth.

Commissioned by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) and conducted by Whitestone Insight, the survey of 2,109 adults revealed that 62% believe abortion should remain illegal after 24 weeks.

64% agreed that “abortion is a matter of life and death, and it is therefore appropriate that the criminal law provides a clear boundary to protect everyone involved.”

On the current 24-week legal limit, 53% said that “if a baby would be capable of surviving outside the womb, abortion should not be an option.”

Only 5% of respondents supported allowing abortion up to birth, while 46% backed reducing the current limit. These findings are consistent with previous polling, which found just 1% of people support abortion without time limits.

The polling comes ahead of parliamentary debates on 17 and 18 June, when MPs will consider proposed amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill. The changes would fully decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, removing all legal penalties for women obtaining abortions at any stage of pregnancy.

The results suggest that the proposed legal changes are out of step with the views of the majority of the public.