In a move that has set off alarm bells among women’s rights advocates, Nigel Farage, the controversial leader of the Reform UK party, has proposed that members of parliament should consider reducing the legal abortion time limit in Britain from its current 24 weeks. Farage’s comments came during a press conference where he unveiled former Conservative minister Andrea Jenkyns as Reform UK’s latest high-profile recruit.
When questioned about his stance on the assisted dying bill, which he opposes, Farage pivoted to the topic of abortion. He argued that parliament should dedicate more time to debating issues that “people at home talk about,” specifically zeroing in on the 24-week abortion limit.
“Is 24 weeks right for abortion given that we now say babies at 22?” Farage pondered. “That to me would be worthy of a debate in parliament but should that be along party lines? I don’t think so.”
Farage’s remarks have been met with swift condemnation from reproductive rights groups and activists who fear that opening up a debate on abortion time limits could lead to a dangerous erosion of women’s bodily autonomy. Many have pointed out that late-term abortions, which account for a small fraction of all abortions performed in the UK, often involve heartbreaking circumstances such as fatal fetal abnormalities or unexpected health risks to the pregnant woman.
Backlash from Reproductive Rights Advocates
Heidi Stewart, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, pushed back against Farage’s suggestion, asserting that “rolling back women’s hard-won rights is not what people at home are interested in.” Louise McCudden of MSI Reproductive Choices echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that calls to reduce abortion time limits are ideologically driven and not supported by clinical evidence.
“If MPs are going to debate anything on this issue, it should be reforming our Victorian abortion laws which leave women threatened with prison for making decisions about our own bodies,” McCudden argued.
Labour MP Stella Creasy also weighed in, noting that the vast majority of abortions in the UK occur before 10 weeks, and that later abortions often involve “the most heartbreaking” circumstances. “Those rare ones that do happen later are the most heartbreaking as they often involve fatal conditions that mean much longed for children do not survive birth,” Creasy explained.
Jenkyns’ Controversial Defection to Reform UK
Farage’s abortion comments somewhat overshadowed the purpose of the press conference, which was to introduce Andrea Jenkyns, a former Conservative minister, as Reform UK’s newest member. Jenkyns’ decision to jump ship to Reform UK came as a surprise to many, given her previous public spats with the party and its deputy leader Richard Tice.
In July, Jenkyns had slammed Tice for making what she described as “libellous” accusations that she had bribed her Reform rival in the Leeds South West and Morley constituency during the general election. At the time, she insisted she had never come close to defecting and dismissed Tice’s “wild accusations” as an attempt to deflect from his own embarrassing behavior.
However, when asked about her change of heart, Jenkyns claimed she had “always respected” Farage and pointed to their shared history of collaborating on the Brexit campaign. She portrayed her old party as a rudderless “sinking ship” and suggested that Reform UK was more aligned with her political views.
Farage’s Ambitions for Reform UK
For his part, Farage was bullish about Reform UK’s prospects, boldly predicting that the party could grow from its current five MPs to become the official opposition in future. He also hinted at his close ties with Twitter owner Elon Musk, referring to him as “my new friend Elon.”
Looking ahead, Farage expressed his eagerness to implement cuts to the US administrative state, which he touted as a blueprint for Reform UK’s agenda “if things go well” in the next general election. However, his foray into the sensitive topic of abortion rights may prove to be a risky gambit, potentially alienating voters who view such comments as a threat to women’s reproductive freedoms.
As the fallout from Farage’s remarks continues to reverberate, it remains to be seen whether his provocative stance on abortion will galvanize his base or serve as a cautionary tale about the perils of wading into such a deeply divisive issue. What is clear, however, is that any attempt to roll back abortion rights in the UK is likely to be met with fierce resistance from women’s rights campaigners determined to safeguard their hard-fought reproductive freedoms.
