Pro-lifer welcomes devolved abortion law

A LEADING pro-life campaigner has said that the Scottish people should “welcome” the possibility that abortion law will be devolved to Holyrood, writes Brian Morton.

Responding to a paragraph in the Smith Commission report suggesting that abortion is an anomalous health reservation, Chris Whitehouse, a trustee of the Right To Life charitable trust, has said that unless there is a “passionately argued” reason for retaining abortion law in Westminster, “in logic it will be devolved”.

Mr Whitehouse said that, as things currently stand, “there is already de facto abortion on demand, with many carried out on quite spurious grounds”. He predicted “there will be a fundamental review of abortion law after the coming general election, both in Scotland, and in England and Wales. If I were Scottish, I would be welcoming the suggestion that abortion law be devolved.”

The Smith report on further devolution powers for Scotland, published on 27 November, suggests that “the parties are strongly of the view to recommend the devolution of abortion and regard it as an anomalous health reservation. They agree that further serious consideration should be given to its devolution.”

Of concern to some is the possibility that differences in abortion law could lead to “health tourism”.