Nicola Mallon and Colm Eastwood of SDLP Pro-life campaigners have reacted with scepticism to the SDLP’s decision to retain its pro-life policy while allowing members to campaign for pro-choice policies.
The party decided at a conference on Saturday to adopt a formal position of being pro-life, but with individual members allowed to choose their own stance on abortion as a matter of individual conscience.
Former party leader Dr Alisdair McDonnell described this as “an interesting position that I can’t make much sense out of”.
“Many parties give representatives a conscience vote on abortion and this was a difficult decision for the party because policies which protect human life and conscience are both really important,” said Dawn McAvoy from Both Lives Matter.
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Commenting on pro-choice activism within the party, Ms McAvoy said: “The SDLP cannot continue to claim to be a ‘pro-life party’ while actively allowing for public representatives to campaign and vote for pro-choice policies ‘without impediment’. It is sad that Northern Ireland has lost a pro-life party.”
Warning the party against slipping into “a ‘pro-choice’ narrative”, she urged voters to contact their local representatives to find out their views and their voting intentions on the issue.