“Aontú is a pro-life party; claims to contrary are without foundation and are being peddled by desperate political opponents” – McCloskey
Aontú deputy leader Dr. Anne McCloskey, candidate for Foyle, has hit out against efforts to undermine Aontú’s pro-life position.
Speaking in the wake of increased efforts by political opponents to mischaracterise Aontú’s pro-life objectives, Dr McCloskey stated:
“Aontú is the only all-Ireland party that is pro-life. Aontú is committed to ensuring the protection of the universal human right to life, which in recent times has been shockingly stripped of legislative protection, north and the south.
“Since 2018, the situation relating to abortion across Ireland has dramatically changed for the worst. The scale and reality of that transformation ought to be realised by everyone who seeks to minimise the number of human lives lost under the abortion regimes in both jurisdictions.
“The blame for developments in the north ought to be laid at the doors of Westminster MPs for passing pro-abortion legislation, Sinn Féin and the SDLP for seeking that legislation and the DUP for not using its position as a British government partner to prevent the legislation from being passed in the first place.
“Aontú was established almost a year ago by people who were previously members of other parties and by people who were never members of any. The people who established Aontú and Aontú’s whole membership are committed first and foremost to vindicating human rights. There is a gross failure in the Ireland of today to vindicate many human rights, including the universal human right to life.
“It should not be forgotten that those who founded Aontú campaigned vigorously and in very difficult circumstances to oppose the removal of constitutional protection of the right to life of preborn humans from the Irish Constitution. Indeed Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD has made considerable career and personal sacrifices for the right to life of preborn humans. Peadar Tóibín TD is held in high regard by all the main prolife organisations, north and south, and regularly addresses their conferences and events.
“It has come to Aontú’s attention that political opponents, particularly members of the SDLP, are seeking to cast doubt on our commitment to the universal human right to life. The claims being made are without foundation.
“It is cynical and hypocritical in the extreme for the SDLP to cast doubt on Aontú’s commitment to the right to life cause. The SDLP is a party that has allowed abortion on demand to be undemocratically imposed on the north; the SDLP’s leader blatantly campaigned for an end to constitutional protection for preborn humans in the south; the SDLP’s leader and other senior figures successfully sought Westminster to remove legal protections for the unborn in the north.
“The SDLP is worried that people it has fooled for so long by pretending to be sincere in its pro-life commitments now have a real pro-life alternative at election time. The SDLP’s efforts to diminish Aontú’s pro-life objectives smacks of sheer desperation. If you have a right to vote in the December elections and you wish to vote for a party that will genuinely stand up for the right to life, then Aontú is the party for you.
“Unlike the SDLP, Aontú is committed to the universal human right to life. Unlike the SDLP, Aontú is an all-Ireland party that has a vision for all of Ireland. We do not aim to be a regional bit-player whose main purpose is to win elections so its members can affirm loyalty to the British monarch."