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Backing MP Dobson over women’s abortion rights
• IN May, despite a sensationalist and misleading anti-abortion campaign, a majority of MPs voted against any lowering of the abortion time limit.
I am pleased to say that local MP Frank Dobson was part of that majority who listened to women’s needs and medical evidence.
Mr Dobson has since co-tabled further pro-choice amendments to the bill, giving MPs the first opportunity in 18 years to end the unnecessary barriers that women still face when trying to access abortions.
While some media headlines would have us believe that abortion is easily accessible to all women, the reality is that women commonly face obstruction from anti-abortion GPs and a post-code lottery in NHS provision.
This can result in women experiencing distressing delays and being forced to have later abortions, pay hundreds of pounds for private treatment or continue with an unwanted pregnancy.
No woman takes the decision to have an abortion lightly and current practice, rather than supporting women through this, can make the experience more, not less difficult.
Medical and health organisations, as well as the House of Commons science and technology committee, all agree that medical ethics and practice around abortion have moved on since 1967 and recommend that these unnecessary obstructions to abortion be removed.
I urge fellow Camden residents to support Mr Dobson in his efforts to support women’s right to choose when, or whether, to have a child.
ROSEMARY HICKS
Phoenix Road
NW1
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