Scottish Catholic Observer

A bid by two of the UK’s largest abortion providers to create US-style ‘buffer zones’ around their private abortion facilities has the backing of the shadow home secretary.

“I think it is possible to have a sensible area outside a clinic where protests don’t take place so that people can’t be harassed and so that staff can go to work without feeling threatened as well,” Labour MP Yvette Cooper (above) said during a television interview.

Robert Colquhoun of 40 Days for Life denied that prayer vigils outside abortion clinics were causing ‘harassment and distress.’

Campaigns launched by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and Marie Stopes in England aim to stop pro-life advocates from speaking to women or other passers-by, or holding pro-life prayer vigils. BPAS denies that its “Back Off” campaign restricts freedom of expression or assembly.

The comments from Ms Cooper continue a worrying trend by opposition politicians against pro-life advocates.

Late last month Labour forced the Smith Commission to drop control of abortion law from the powers it recommended be devolved to Scotland.

According to reports, Labour MP Gregg McClymont telephone Ed Miliband to seek permission to make abortion a red-line issue, a move that came after a week of debate on the subject. Labour’s concern was said to be that the influence of SNP backer Brian Souter on the Nationalists could lead to a more conservative abortion law in Scotland on the time limit.

Earlier last month all three candidates for leadership of the Scottish Labour Party voiced support for abortion, including the two Catholic candidates Jim Murphy MP and Neil Findlay MSP.

Mr Murphy told the audience at a hustings for women that he disagreed with Church teaching on abortion.

Pic: PA