British Parliament Votes Anti-Life on Abortion and Embryology.

Great Britain is nearing the end of its first major reconsideration of abortion since 1990. Results to date are grim.

British members of Parliament (MPs) have rejected almost all pro-life amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) bill, which would also impact abortion law. So far, they refused to lower the uppermost age at which abortions can be performed from 24 weeks, approved the creation of animal-human hybrid embryos, and rejected limits on the creation of "saviour siblings."

Consideration of the bill continues as NRL News goes to press. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has urged right to lifers to communicate with their representatives and stop the pro-abortion tide. "Pro-lifers must now redouble their efforts to stop pro-abortion amendments being incorporated into the government's embryo bill at its report stage," Anthony Ozimic, SPUC political secretary, said in a press release. "These amendments may include removing the requirement for two doctors to certify medical grounds for an abortion, and promoting nurses as abortion practitioners. More babies will die if such amendments are passed."

Amendments to lower the 24-week limit failed May 20, according to the Guardian. The closest vote was on an amendment to reduce the limit to 22 weeks, which was defeated on a 304233 vote. Other proposals for 12, 16, and 20 weeks also failed by larger margins. (In addition to abortion on demand up to 24 weeks, the British law has various loopholes that allow abortions virtually until birth if the child is suffering from a "disability.")

Pro-life MPs strongly criticized the fact that although medical technology has advanced so much that premature babies below 24 weeks have survived, babies the same age can still be aborted for any reason. "We have in this country a situation in which you can have two children, of exactly the same age and gestationexactly the ...