Derry and Strabane Council votes down Cllr McCloskey's motion to prevent Westminster's imposition of an Extreme Abortion Regime

Derry and Strabane Council votes down Cllr McCloskeys motion to prevent Westminsters imposition of an Extreme Abortion Regime

Derry and Strabane District Council on Thursday voted by a majority of 20 votes to 13 tonight to reject a motion proposed by Aontú’s Cllr Anne McCloskey. The motion asked that Stormont be urgently reconvened for the purpose of blocking legislation from Westminster which will remove all legal protections for preborn babies in the north of Ireland.

Cllr McCloskey stated:

“The extreme abortion legislation was forced through the British parliament as an amendment to a completely unrelated bill and without the consent of the people here. It was debated for a mere seventeen minutes, as compared to a bill on foxhunting, which was debated for 700 hours.

“Unless this bill is blocked by the executive, the north will have one of the most extreme abortion regimes in the world. This is an affront to democracy.

“Under the Good Friday Agreement abortion was meant to be a devolved matter, to be settled by the people here and their representatives, not by English, Scottish and Welsh Lords and MPs. However, the leaders of Sinn Féin and the SDLP, both of which are signatories of the GFA, repeatedly lobbied the British establishment to ensure that this extreme abortion legislation was brought into being.

“In its bid to usher abortion-on-demand up to the point of viability into the north, Sinn Féin has abandoned any real commitment to the principle of abstentionism, choosing to use the proxy votes of its British political allies.

“100% of those who voted for the imposition of an extreme abortion regime in the north of Ireland represented constituencies in England, Scotland and Wales. Any semblance of a commitment to devolution by the British establishment has been well and truly shattered.

“This month, Aontú members and supporters were among a crowd of twenty thousand people, who stood together at Stormont, in silent protest against the impending abortion regime. We stood for six minutes, a minute for each county; for our shared humanity and for the future of our people.

“We will walk again in West Belfast on the 13th October to speak for those who cannot and make a stand for the universal human right to life. But it seems that far too many politicians do not want to listen.”

The Irish political system is radically broken

In Ireland the vast majority of elected representatives put a finger in the air to check which way the political wind is blowing. They have one eye on their leaders – seeking brownie points – and another eye keeping their seat safe. If elected reps shut up and do as they’re told, they are promoted; if they stand up for what they believe in, they are demoted. No wonder we have the political class we have. No wonder one point one billion euro is being buried in a hole under the National Children’s Hospital and that Stormont is in stalemate.

Throughout Ireland, many people are now afraid to say what they feel, many are afraid to respectfully engage on a range of different topics. Many feel there is a new censorship and a new political correctness in Ireland, that opposition to the establishment is being deleted.

Respectful opposition is not the enemy. Respectful opposition is a critical element of a functional democracy. Aontú will have the backbone to stand up, without fear, for you.