On 1^st April, Maundy Thursday, the Supreme Court refused an application to hear the appeal of 5-year-old Pippa Knight.

The High Court ruled that Pippa’s life support must be switched off, effectively denying Pippa her right to life.

Pippa’s devastated mum, Paula, saw the last hope of saving her daughter’s life evaporate in an instance.

And our country witnessed the further erosion of the “right to life”.

Our fundamental rights are fast disappearing.

Last month another serious blow was dealt to us when veteran pro-abortion MP Rupa Huq announced her intention to table an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

The amendment would see free speech “exclusion zones” enforced around abortion clinics all across the UK.

Those “crossing the zone” to offer a woman help to keep her baby could soon end up in jail, their rights to free assembly and free speech quashed at a stroke.

The “usual” unsubstantiated claims  

Dr Huq says her amendment is necessary to “prohibit the longstanding and continual daily harassment and intimidation of women outside abortion clinics”.

But such claims – which have been touted by our opponents for years – are totally without foundation.

In 2018, the then Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, flatly rejected any such claims following an official government review.

The review fully accepted that:

"…the main activities reported to us that take place during protests include praying, displaying banners and handing out leaflets." 

Mr Javid went even further, saying that free speech exclusions zones would “not be a proportionate response" to peaceful prayer vigils at abortion clinics.

Mr Javid clearly understood that those who attend pro-life vigils are no thugs. 

On the contrary, he recognised that the good and gentle people who typically attend (see below) do NOT constitute a threat to anyone.

When women want support, they are met with silence from our opponents 

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), is the UK's largest abortion provider and the original architect behind the call for free speech “exclusion zones”.

BPAS’ 2014 Back Off campaign called for a law to create "access zones" against pro-life vigils outside abortion centres.

The campaign was prompted by the rise of pro-life vigils in the UK by groups like 40 Days For Life.

Every week a few women “turn around” at the very last moment and decide not go ahead with an abortion because pavement-counsellors offer them help and support.

Indeed, 118 unborn babies were saved from abortion during the first week of the worldwide 40 Days for Life Lenten vigils this year alone.

But when that happens the abortion clinics miss out on their fee.  It is estimated that clinics could be losing as much as £100,000 a year because of “turnarounds”. 

BPAS has little to say about the women who are terrified into an abortion by a coercive partner or who feel that abortion is their only option.

A powerful SPUC video featuring one “turned around” young woman who received the practical help and support to keep her baby makes this all too clear.

In the mother’s personal testimony – which you can see on SPUC’s YouTube channel – she tells how exclusion zones would be a disaster for women.

In the four-minute video the young mum recounts:

• How she was under great pressure to abort her child but spoke to a pavement-counsellor who helped her
• And how exclusion or “buffer” zones would be a “really bad idea” because “not every woman that walks into an abortion clinic wants to go through with a termination”.

We risk losing our right to protest if we don’t act NOW

The “right to protest” is closely tied up with the right to freedom of assembly, the right to freedom of association, and the right to freedom of speech.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, ratified by the UK, which firmly establishes the right to protest in international law.

Article 11 enunciates the "right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests."

Of course, political rights are subject to certain limitations.

For example, the ICCPR contains prohibitions on "propaganda of war" and advocacy of "national, racial or religious hatred".

Articles 20 and 21 of the ICCPR also allow for the restriction of the freedom of assembly "in the interests of national security or public safety, public order, the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others." 

However, it does not allow restrictions for the abortion industry’s loss of custom. 

Protesting, when it involves a small group and is not violent or a threat to the interests of national security or public safety, is the legal right of everyone.

But upholding the right to life of others will quickly become impossible to do if political rights, such as freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, are lost.

Will you help to safeguard the right of pro-lifers to stand on the abortion frontlines and save the lives of unborn children?

Another £8,990 will see us reach our £50K target. It will also ensure that SPUC can deliver a full programme of projects and campaigns to defend the right of anyone to attend life-saving vigils at abortion clinics.

The alternative is cutting back and leaving gaps in SPUC’s legal defence work which could prove disastrous for our babies.

A monthly gift of £10 or £15 goes a long way to ensure that all bases are covered.

Not everyone will be in a position right now to make regular gifts, and that’s totally understood.

One-off gifts of £5, £10 or £25 are immensely valuable and important too.

I want you to know that at whatever level you can afford to give, your money will go to work immediately to help women escape the trauma of an abortion and bring their babies safely into the world.

Yours in defence of life

John Smeaton
Chief Executive

P.S. MP Rupa Huq is an abortion fanatic. Like her BPAS colleagues, Dr Huq has nothing whatsoever to offer terrified women railroaded into abortion, other than the death of her child. 

Should things go wrong, as they often do after an abortion, you can be sure Dr Huq won’t be there to pick up the pieces.

Please help SPUC help the people who are manning the abortion frontlines and who DO care immensely for women and are offering real hope at the eleventh hour.

Please do this TODAY. Time is running out. Only 2 days left.