July 08, 2004

Labour Supports Labour?

It is hard to believe. Tony Blair maybe supporting a move to lower the gestational limit on pre-natal infanticide. The current limit is 24 weeks. This was set during a free vote I observed from the Strangers Gallery in 1990.

However, current undeniable medical evidence has made arguments for 24 weeks based on fetal viabiliaty unviable. While insisting that it would be a free vote, Blair told MPs that “if the scientific evidence has shifted, then it is obviously sensible for us to take that into account”.

Ian Gibson, Labour chairman of the Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, told The Times Wednesday, “There has been such a big inflow of information since we last set the limit that, putting all the political issues aside, there is a case for looking at it again.”

All of this has been brought to the forefront by a national newspaper - I think it was the Daily Mail - showing photographs of babies at 12 weeks moving and otherwise showing signs of sentience. Various pro-abortion rags have suggested that the photos are deceptive because they enlarge the actual size of the baby. After all, a 12-week-old baby is quite small. Apparently size is everything.

Though some campaigners are calling for the law to drop the limit for what some refer to as "social abortions" - what would better be called "selfish abortions" - to 12 weeks, this is unrealistically hopeful. I think 18 weeks is achievable and that will save at least a few more lives.

Posted by david at July 8, 2004 02:29 PM | TrackBack
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