Why the abortion time limit will soon come down

Sadly, the abortion vote last night pretty much split down party lines with 83 percent of Tories in favour of a lower limit and 80 percent of Labour MPs supported the 24 week status quo. It would be a disaster for British politics if abortion was to become a partisan issue—imagine the Commons continually changing the time limit after an election in much the way that US administrations suspend or enact the Mexico City policy. Indeed, my one criticism of the campaign against the 24 week timeframe for so-called ‘social abortions’ is that some of its advocates veered too quickly into partisan language.

But I am hopeful the time limit for ‘social abortions’ will soon come down regardless of which party has a majority in Parliament. Looking at the pictures in the papers today of foetuses—The Mail’s front-page photo of a 23 week old one is particularly arresting—and the medical evidence on both viability and when foetuses begin to feel pain it is hard not to think that the law is going to have to be reformed.