Full Council meeting 9th July 2025
Council notes that on 17th June the House of Commons passed the New Clause One amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. This new clause would disapply existing criminal law related to abortion from women acting in relation to her own pregnancy at any gestation.
If this amendment becomes law, it will have deeply concerning repercussions. It will:
1. Create a legal backdoor for sex selective abortions.
2. Lead to more late term DIY abortions at home.
3. Lead to more babies’ lives being ended after the current 24-week abortion legal limit and beyond the point where they can survive outside of the womb and up to full term.
Council further notes that there has been no public consultation on these changes to the abortion law and that polling by Whitestone Insight shows that only 16% of adults in the UK support the proposals in the New Clause One amendment.
Therefore, council calls upon the Cabinet to:
1. Instruct officers to investigate the impact of the proposed changes to the law under the New Clause One amendment and how this could affect health in Merton.
2. Run a public information campaign to ensure residents know the dangers of DIY abortions and the health risk to the mother and baby of termination beyond 24-weeks.
Additionally, council calls upon the Leader of the Council to write to the boroughs two MPs setting out this council’s opposition to the changes in the New Clause One amendment and to call for them to campaign against the proposed changes.
Cllr Nick McLean Cllr Daniel Holden Cllr Max Austin Cllr Thomas Barlow
Cllr Eleanor Cox Cllr Andrew Howard Cllr Michael Paterson