My afternoon with protesters who stand outside abortion clinics

In contrast to America and other countries, abortion in the UK is not a major political issue during general and local elections.

The numbers of abortions are going up. There were 251,377 abortions in England and Wales in 2022 – the highest number since the Abortion Act in 1967 was introduced, and an increase of 17% over the previous year.

Regular large opinion polls in this country show support has only grown for women’s right to access abortion. The National Centre For Social Research’s most recent social attitudes study shows support for abortion has increased, although support is slightly less universal when there is no health risk involved.

Three quarters of people surveyed in 2022 supported a woman’s right to have an abortion because she did not want to have a child, up from 37% in 1983. This figure rose to 89% when there was a strong chance of the baby having a serious health condition, and 95% when the woman’s health was seriously endangered by the pregnancy.

Seventy-two per cent believe abortion should be allowed when a couple cannot afford any more children, and 68% when the woman is not married and does not wish to marry.

Ailish McEntee, the midwife in charge of safeguarding adults and children at MSI Reproductive Choices, one of the UK’s largest abortion providers, welcomes the buffer zones. She says she has had to calm some women down who have been spoken to or accosted by protesters on their way in for an appointment.

“Women have had people screaming ‘murderer’ or shouting out ‘mummy’ and saying that they’re going to be praying for them and that is a really harrowing experience,” she tells me.

I challenge her about people’s right to free speech, protest and to be able to express their religious beliefs in this country. She acknowledges those rights are important but says the location of that expression also matters.

She tells me women shouldn’t have to deal with protest, dissent, shaming or argument on the way to receive healthcare, especially when some of the women have faced abuse by men – as that is her particular area of expertise and care.

Ailish’s account conflicts with Richard’s. She says she has seen protesters stop women and strongly try to prevent them from going in.

Both men I interviewed said they didn’t know what they would do from today when the law changes; whether they would continue to show up, but further away, or not come at all.

Time will tell. But as I left I saw a male member of the public take on one of the protesters, angrily telling them they shouldn’t be there. As of today – they might not be.

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