SNP members have voted to enshrine the right to abortion in the constitution of an independent Scotland.
The motion, which was proposed by the SNP’s Elgin branch, was comfortably passed at conference on Sunday.
It looked to "safeguard women's reproductive rights against any potential political or legal regression" amid recent developments in the United States, where the overturning of Roe v. Wade has led to significant rollbacks in women's right to an abortion in several states.
Kim Marshall, who ran for the SNP in the General Election in Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, spoke in favour of the resolution.
Marshall praised the buffer zone legislation, which passed in the Scottish Parliament in June and means anti-abortion protests within 200m of abortion service providers are now banned in Scotland.
She also condemned the anti-abortion protesters seen outside the conference venue bearing signs.
“We’ve seen the tactics of the Republican evangelical right with the advent of protests, not just outside hospital but running the gauntlet coming into conference this morning,” she said.
“As you might expect, I had a few words to say to them. Very choice ones.”
The full text of the motion is below:
Conference notes the recent developments in the United States, where the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, have led to significant rollbacks in women's reproductive rights across several states. This landmark decision had protected women's right to choose for nearly half a century. In contrast, France took a proactive step in 2023 by enshrining the right to abortion in its constitution.
Conference believes that women's rights are human rights, and access to safe, legal abortion is a fundamental aspect of healthcare and bodily autonomy. The right to choose should not be subject to the changing tides of political or judicial decisions but should be a guaranteed and protected right within the highest legal framework of our nation.
Conference resolves that the SNP would call for the right to abortion to be enshrined in the future constitution of an independent Scotland, safeguarding women's reproductive rights against any potential political or legal regression.
