Poll shows Scottish Government at odds with public on DIY chemical abortions

Respondents reject home abortions and paying for Northern Irish abortions

By SPUC—the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children

A new opinion poll has revealed opposition to the Scottish Government’s plans to liberalise the abortion law.

According to the ComRes poll, carried out on behalf of SPUC Scotland, 48% of people disagree with plans for abortion pills to be dispensed for women to take outside a medical setting, with 38% agreeing.

Public opinion is also against the Scottish Government’s initiative to provide abortions in Scotland for Northern Irish women. An overwhelming two thirds majority - 67% - said it was not acceptable that Scottish taxpayers pay for the travel, accommodation and medical costs of women from Northern Ireland to have abortions in Scotland, while only one third -33% -said it was acceptable.

SPUC Scotland is currently preparing to take the Scottish Government to court after launching a judicial review of proposals by the country’s chief medical officer Dr. Catherine Calderwood, which would allow women to perform DIY [Do It Yourself] abortions at home. (Philippa Taylor of Christian Medical Fellowship details here the medical dangers of this proposal.)

Even though their actions are in line with public opinion, SPUC’s Scotland’s attempt to uphold the current law on abortion, and protect women from the dangers of home abortions, has caused outrage in some quarters.

One journalist wrote in the ​National that SPUC Scotland CEO John Deighan is “Scotland’s nastiest culture warrior,” and a “tasteless hack propagandist” whose “rhetoric is repulsive, stupid and counter-productive.”

Deighan said: “This poll is a double blow to the political elite and demonstrates just how out of touch this government is with the ordinary man and woman in the street.

“Since Westminster [a reference to the British Parliament] devolved powers on abortion to Holyrood [home to the Scottish Parliament] there have been two major interventions by the Scottish National Party administration - free abortions for women from Northern Ireland and DIY at home abortions. But the poll is a damning indictment of such interventions and reveals that the Scottish Administration is failing to carry the support of voters or represent the views of the electorate. They should face up to reality and reverse these plans now.”