Abortion, Same-Sex ‘Marriage’ Forced on Northern Ireland

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BELFAST, Northern Ireland (ChurchMilitant.com) - Lawmakers in London are pushing forward with a plan to impose abortion and same-sex "marriage" on Northern Ireland.

On Tuesday, by a vote of 383 to 73, members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons passed an amendment greenlighting gay "marriage." Minutes later, they voted 332 to 99 to legalize the killing of Northern Irish unborn.

The ballots mark a sweeping victory for the British left, which in recent years has waged an increasingly aggressive campaign to strike down Belfast's pro-life, pro-family protections and bring Northern Ireland in line with the liberal policy regimes of England, Scotland and Wales.

Afterward, U.K. political insiders indicated that Prime Minister Theresa May would deliver on the votes.

"The government has heard the message the house has delivered, and will seek to act upon it," a source inside Number 10 Downing Street told The Guardian.

Critics are denouncing the move as a usurpation of political power. The push comes as the local lawmaking body, the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, is inactive — suspended since 2017 over political disagreements.

Stormont has power to legislate on matters not reserved for Parliament in London, including abortion and marriage policy.

Though the votes don't automatically change Northern Irish law, they do oblige the U.K. government to force legalization if Stormont is not restored by October.

Responding to the abortion vote, Right to Life UK spokesperson Clare McCarthy described it as an "unconstitutional and disrespectful attempt to override devolution in Northern Ireland and to attempt to impose abortion on demand on the Northern Irish people."

"The law on this issue should be a decision for the people of Northern Ireland and their elected representatives, not for MPs in Westminster to decide," said McCarthy.

"It is totally constitutionally inappropriate to bring forward abortion amendments to a Bill which has nothing to do with abortion in any way, to legislate on such a sensitive matter," she continued. "Any imposition of abortion law on Northern Ireland from Westminster would undermine devolution."

"No consultation on this amendment was possible. The people of Northern Ireland had next to no opportunity to voice their opinions," McCarthy added. "Westminster must respect the principle and spirit of devolution and ensure the people of Northern Ireland, through their elected representatives, get to decide on what law and policy should apply in that jurisdiction."

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