Outcry as doctors back making abortions legal in late pregnancy

child would be born disabled. Dr Coral Jones, who presented the BMA motion, said: “We must respect women and have trust in women to make decisions for themselves and their families.”

But Andrea Williams, of Christian Concern, said: “This debate and vote had no public mandate.

“Recent polling shows that only one per cent of women want to legalise abortion up to birth, 70 per cent want the current limit of 24 weeks to be lowered and 91 per cent want a ban on ‘genderabortion’.

“A tiny minority of have imposed their activists extreme abortion agenda on the BMA and as a result have severely damaged the institution’s reputation.

“When our doctors display such a shocking disrespect for human life, we know we are a society in crisis.”

Dr Peter Saunders, chief executive of the Christian Medical Fellowship, said: “What the BMA has chosen to do is back abortion on demand, without restriction including on length of gestation and sex.

However, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service said: “We welcome this important vote which shows doctors believe a woman should be trusted to make her own decision when faced with an unplanned pregnancy or a pregnancy she cannot continue.

“Healthcare professionals should not risk criminal prosecution when they are providing women with safe, effective clinical care.

“Decriminalisation does not mean deregulation, or that abortions could be legally performed by unqualified individuals.

“It would also ensure that any woman who uses abortion medication without the authorisation of two doctors would no longer face the threat of life in prison.” Protesters demanding abortion decision rights