Nigel Farage has said parliament should debate imposing stricter limits on abortion for women, saying the current timeline may need to be shortened.
The legal limit for a woman to have an abortion is 24 weeks’ gestation, but the Reform UK leader said that some babies are now saved after being born at 22 weeks, and questioned whether the current limit is set too late.
Speaking to reporters after a Reform UK press conference, 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.”
Abortions can be performed after 24 weeks in rare circumstances, including when the mother’s life is at risk or the child would be born severely disabled. In France and Spain, the cut-off point for an abortion is 14 weeks.
But Stella Creasy, a leading campaigner on abortion rights, who has backed proposals to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, cautioned against politicians “weaponising abortion for votes”.
The Labour MP 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.”
Ms Creasy has previously called for abortion to be decriminalised to stop women suspected of illegal terminations being harassed via police investigations and prosecutions.
And Richy Thompson, director of public affairs and policy at Humanists UK, said: “Foetal viability is generally 24 weeks, and therefore this remains the right time to set the time limit for abortions.”
Mr Farage’s intervention came as he was asked how he planned to vote on Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill, which comes before parliament on Friday.
He compared the “big social reform” to the passing of the Abortion Act in 1967, saying that it could have “consequences that were not perhaps intended”.
Mr Farage said he would be voting against the assisted dying bill, saying he had “huge understanding and sympathy” for those backing the change but that he was worried it would lead society along “the road towards elderly people effectively being pushed into taking this decision”.
The Independent approached Reform UK for comment.
