(Bloomberg) — UK Prime Minister Liz Truss’s government caved in to demands from MPs in her own Conservative Party to allow for a free vote on buffer zones to exclude protests around abortion clinics, a sign her party managers are keen to avoid clashes with mutinous backbenchers.
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The House of Commons is set to vote on Tuesday on a cross-party amendment to the government’s Public Order Bill that would make it a criminal offense to harass, obstruct or interfere with any woman or member of staff arriving at an abortion clinic. Protesters found guilty of breaching the 150-meter (492-foot) zone would face up to six months in jail.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman had asked Conservative MPs to block the protective ring around abortion clinics, according to an MP familiar with the government plans. But following pressure from backbench Members of Parliament, Tories will now be allowed to vote with their conscience, they said. Home Office minister Jeremy Quin confirmed the climbdown. The opposition Labour Party supports the zones.
The reversal is a fresh sign of how weak Truss’s administration is, despite enjoying a majority in Parliament of about 70 seats. Party managers are trying to avoid exposing the levels of division within the party as the premier fights for her political future following the dismantling over the past week of her entire economic strategy. Some of the pressure had come from the One Nation Caucus, which Truss addressed Monday night to try to shore up support.
A spokesperson for Braverman did not respond immediately to a request for comment. A Home Office spokesman declined to comment on the Conservative Party’s internal management.
The amendment is being debated because protesters have tried to discourage women from seeking abortions by displaying images of dismembered fetuses, filming women and staff members, sprinkling holy water, signing hymns and reciting prayers. Critics of the proposal argue the zones interfere with the right to free speech.
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