Abortion: the Dorries-Field Amendment

Nadine Dorries MP

Nadine Dorries MP is photogenic and also good copy, so it is perhaps not surprising that she should have received most of the publicity over the recent proposed amendment to the Government’s Health Bill, more than her co-promoter Frank Field, a long serving MP who seems to be about the only person in the House of Commons who is universally liked and respected.

Ms Dorries is a bit of a terrier, and refuses to let go of something once she has got her teeth in it, a quality perhaps better in an MP than it is attractive in a person.

Their proposal was that organisations who perform abortions for money should not also give ‘independent’ counselling: they are clearly not independent.

Unfortunately every suggestion concerning abortion is treated by the Left as an attack on abortion itself.

This was not, however, an attack on abortion, of which Ms Dorries declares herself to be in favour. There was no suggestion that a woman should not have the right to an abortion, only that the counselling she receives should not be from someone who stood to make money from her having the abortion.

I must say I had no idea that this could go on and was quite astonished. How many people do they counsel not to have an abortion?

Mr Cameron in particular has behaved disgracefully over this. He promised to support the amendment, and then when his coalition partners the Liberal Democrats said they wouldn’t agree, withdrew his support. At Prime Minister’s Question Time Ms Dorries had the courage to ask him when he would stop giving in to everything the Deputy Prime Minister demanded, and remind Mr Clegg who was boss. Mr Cameron began his answer with ‘I know the Honourable Lady is frustrated...’ and when there was a puerile outburst of giggles in the House, gave up and sat down.

Mr Cameron should apologise to Ms Dorries and explain to the public why he thinks it better that a woman should receive abortion counselling from the organisation which is going to operate on her for money.

PS Mary Wakefiled points out in the Spectator that one pregnancy in five is terminated in the UK, twice as many as in Germany. Why should this be so?