Peers launch bid to stop abortion up to birth law change

Two senior members of the House of Lords are leading a major effort to overturn a clause in the Crime and Policing Bill that would effectively allow abortion up to birth.

Baroness Monckton and Baroness Stroud are tabling amendments to remove clause 191, introduced without full parliamentary scrutiny, and to reinstate in-person medical consultations before at-home abortions take place.

Clause 191, sponsored in the Commons by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi and passing after just 46 minutes of debate, would remove legal penalties for women who perform their own abortions at any stage of pregnancy—including up to birth.

There was no public consultation, Committee Stage scrutiny or evidence sessions before it passed the Commons.

Baroness Monckton warned the change would introduce “an extreme social change for which there is no public pressure or demand”, with the potential for “tragic consequences for women” and a rise in late-term abortions.

Analysis by the policy team at Right To Life UK found that of the 20 Peers who spoke on the clause at Second Reading, 65% opposed it.

Polling data shows strong public opposition: only 1% of women support abortion up to birth, and 89% oppose sex-selective abortion.

Baroness Stroud is also leading efforts to require in-person consultations prior to prescribing abortion pills for home use.

Her amendment addresses safety concerns linked to the “pills by post” scheme, introduced during the pandemic and made permanent in 2022.

Stroud said: “The solution to dangerous late-term abortions is not removing legal deterrents, but reinstating medical oversight to ensure gestation and risks are properly assessed.”

Polling shows two-thirds of women support the return of in-person consultations, and only 4% back the current policy.