The vote on the Abortion Act amendment to extend abortion rights to Northern Ireland is expected to take place on 22 October this year.

Tabled by Labour MP Diane Abbott, the amendment is seen by pro and anti choice campaigners as the last real opportunity to extend legal abortion to Northern Ireland before criminal justice law is devolved from Westminster.

Pro choice campaigners desperately want Westminster MPs to pass the amendment.

They say that Northern Ireland government neither represents women, nor has an interest in the social issues that affect them.

They also believe that pro lifers will use an anti choice victory on the Northern Ireland amendment as a starting point for a campaign to erode abortion rights across the UK.

They feel that this Labour government represents the pro choice lobby's best hope.

Note: Labour MP Frank Field recently tabled a clause to the Northern Ireland amendment:

'This section shall not come into force until the Northern Ireland Assembly approves a motion endorsing the extension of the Abortion Act 1967 (c. 87) to Northern Ireland.’

Goretti Horgan:

‘It's wrong to think that it's just about Northern Ireland. They [the anti-choice lobby] will chip away at [abortion rights] here.

'Bernie Smith of Precious Life, a kind of Americanised anti abortion group, has said they want to see equal protection for the unborn child in Britain - their agenda is to keep Northern Ireland without abortion and then spread that here.’

Photo: Alliance for Choice demonstrator at Westminster, 8 October 2008.