Nigel Farage has been accused of pushing an anti-abortion agenda to “score cheap political points” and “ingratiate” himself with soon-to-be US president Donald Trump.
The Reform UK leader recently said parliament should debate rolling out stricter limits on abortion for women - suggesting the current time limit may need to be made shorter.
Health chiefs previously voiced fears over moves to cut the legal limit to have an abortion from the current deadline of 24 weeks to 22 weeks - warning this could inflict cruelty on vulnerable women and actually increase the number of pregnancy terminations.
Louise McCudden, of MSI Reproductive Choices, a leading UK abortion provider, told The Independent: “By stirring the pot on abortion, Nigel Farage is using women’s bodies and lives to score cheap political points.
“He’s playing fast and loose with women’s hard-won reproductive rights, perhaps in the hope that it will ingratiate him with Donald Trump and his other nationalist friends in the United States.”
Mr Farage is a close ally of Mr Trump, with the Reform UK leader being the only UK politician to go to his Palm Beach home on election night.
There is absolutely no clinical or ethical case for reducing the abortion time limit. The vast majority of abortion procedures take place under 10 weeks and very few happen at 22 weeks.
It comes as The Independent reported that Mr Farage will visit the US on Sunday for the sixth time since he was elected as the MP for Clacton in July after he was revealed as one of the headline acts at the biggest Maga gala since Mr Trump’s recent election triumph.
Ms McCudden said research suggests as many as nine in 10 people in the UK are pro-choice on abortions and that one in three women will have an abortion in their lives.
She added: “Mr Farage should be focused on working to improve health care for his constituents in Clacton, not weaponising abortion rights in the interests of a small minority.
“There is absolutely no clinical or ethical case for reducing the abortion time limit. The vast majority of abortion procedures take place under 10 weeks and very few happen at 22 weeks.
“When somebody does need an abortion at that point in their pregnancy, there are usually sensitive factors involved, such as medical complications with a wanted pregnancy, or an abuser preventing their partner from seeking care sooner.”
Ms McMudden argued making those women “listen to men in suits speculate from a great distance about their right to access essential healthcare is sickening”.
Ninety per cent of abortions happen in this country before 10 weeks – 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.
She added: “With the US president-elect on the verge of reintroducing the Global Gag Rule when he takes office, threatening the reproductive rights of around 690 million women worldwide, UK politicians should be standing up for gender equality, not treating women’s bodies as collateral damage in a manufactured culture war.”
It comes after reports Mr Farage is working with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) - a rightwing US-based Christian group which is calling for abortion to be banned. The ADF has been labelled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Centre but the organisation denies this classification.
Byline Times reported that Mr Farage has been quoted in a statement released by the ADF - with the politician cited as saying “police and government now withhold vital public information and we get censored simply for demanding the truth. I will continue to fight this.”
When approached for comment by The Independent, the politician said he had “never heard of them” and branded the claims of links with the group “utter rubbish”.
Mr Farage also said: “There should be a debate on 22 versus 24 weeks that’s it.”
Speaking to reporters after a Reform UK press conference at the end of last month, Mr Farage said: “You know, is 24 weeks right for abortion, given that we now save babies at 22? That, to me, would be worthy of a debate in parliament.”
Labour’s Stella Creasy, a prominent campaigner on abortion rights, who has backed proposals to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, criticised Mr Farage’s comments at the time.
The MP for Walthamstow told The Independent: “Ninety per cent of abortions happen in this country before 10 weeks – 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.
“Not forcing women to give birth to a baby that they know will die is why we have these limits, and why those who think abortion can be weaponised for votes need to think carefully before attacking them.”
A spokesperson for Reform UK has been contacted for comment.
