Help Defend Pro-Life Prayer Vigils

Order The Attack on the Family and the European Response today to receive it in time for Christmas - authored by the ProVita association in Italy it makes a valuable Christmas present to inform family members, friends or work colleagues about the major moral and social battle of our time. 

From: John Smeaton at SPUC <news@spuc.org.uk>
Date: 27 November 2017 at 19:05
Subject: Action Alert: Respond to the latest attack on pro-life vigils

Write to your MP about Amber Rudd's review into "harassment and intimidation"  View this email in your browser Action Alert: Respond to latest attack on pro-life vigils. 27 November 2017 The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, has announced a review into "harassment and intimidation near abortion clinics."

Dear SPUC Supporter, I am writing to you about an extremely urgent matter – the latest attack on pro-life vigils.  Peaceful, pro-life vigils outside abortion centres and hospitals have saved thousands of babies and their mothers from abortion. But now these life-saving, prayerful vigils are under attack from the highest authority.   On Sunday 26 November 2017, the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd MP,announced a review into “harassment and intimidation near abortion clinics”. This review will: Gather evidence from police forces, healthcare providers and local authorities. Gather ‘detailed evidence and firm recommendations’ to allow the government ‘to take the right action to tackle this problem’. Consider what further action the government can take, which could include bolstering or creating new police and civil powers. Key points to note: The review makes no reference to consulting with the pro-life groups which run the vigils. The review is based on the assumption that harassment and intimidation are taking place. In fact, pro-life acts of witness in Britain are well-known for their peaceful, prayerful nature. The basis of the review is not if anything more is needed in addition to existing legislation against harassment and intimidation, but what more needs to be done.  Vulnerable women, under pressure to abort, will suffer if pro-life vigils are shut down, by denying them vital information which may persuade them to keep their baby. Ms Rudd’s assessment of what actually happens at pro-life vigils is misleading. The outcome of the review has been prejudiced. Please ask your MP to write to Amber Rudd objecting to the terms of this biased review.      To help you write your letter I am attaching: A letter from Clare McCullough to Amber Rudd MP. Clare is the director of Good Counsel Network which has been running life-saving vigils for 23 years in Ealing, London. The attack on the Good Counsel Network’s work, was spearheaded by Rupa Huq MP for Ealing Central and Acton.   Extracts from speeches given by Sir Edward Leigh during a recent debate in Parliament on buffer zones, from which you may like to quote. This Home Office review is a wholly inappropriate response to small numbers of prayerful people who offer leaflets to women. These leaflets let women know where they can get help, which they cannot get anywhere else. Please make this your number one pro-life priority. Nothing is more urgent. Please send any responses you get from your MP to SPUC. With my very best wishes, John Smeaton CEO   Read more on the SPUC website: https://www.spuc.org.uk/news/news-stories/2017/november/amber-rudd-launches-review-into-harassment-and-intimidation-near-abortion-clinics