The Conservative Party’s new Vice-Chair for Women, Maria Caulfield, has hit back at critics who have said her appointment is wrong due to her position on abortion.
Ms Caulfield, a former nurse, who is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary ProLife Group, last year opposed a parliamentary attempt to remove criminal sanctions on abortion. Currently, by law, women in England and Wales have to prove to two medical professionals that carrying on with the pregnancy is detrimental to their health or wellbeing; Ms Caulfield argued that to remove those rules would adversely affect vulnerable women and that the growing availability of abortion pills is not a reason to liberalise the law but should give rise to concern for women’s safety. Opposition Labour MP, Diana Johnson, had sought to place regulation of abortion with professional bodies, as with other medical procedures.
Ms Caulfield’s appointment caused a storm on Twitter by activists. Labour accused the Prime Minister of making an “appalling” decision; abortion provider BPAS said the decision was incredibly disappointing and accused her of supporting the “criminalisation” of women.
Ms Caulfield responded on the news website of the i newspaper – inews –arguing it was absolutely ridiculous to say that someone who has a different view can’t represent women: “The current law is a safeguard because it protects vulnerable women who might be pressurised by an abusive partner or family member to have an abortion,” she said. Ms Caulfield added that she had never had a woman come to her to say she was having difficulty accessing abortion. “It’s not my place to judge any woman who wanted to have an abortion but when as a legislator I am concerned that a change in the law will adversely affect vulnerable women or babies that are female, then absolutely I have a right to speak out about this,” Ms Caulfield added.
PICTURE: Maria Caulfield ©Wikipedia
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