UK & Ireland in Brief

On July 21 it was reported that an undisclosed abortion facility is to close as a result of pro-life campaigning. The move has been described by Britain's largest private abortion provider BPAS as a ‘first in the UK’.

Despite posting the news, BPAS refuses to name the clinic. It denies ownership of the clinic in question. A June 22 Early Day Motion (EDM 162), sponsored by Diane Abbott MP, cites news of the closure and also suggests other clinics have been prevented from opening as a result of ‘local fears about anti-abortion activity’.

New polling over 10 –12 July for social policy charity CARE (Christian Action Research and Education) demonstrates strong public support for the government’s commitment to regulate all websites with pornographic content.

74% of the public believe the UK Government should require sites that provide porn to the UK – regardless of whether or not they are actually located in the UK – to put in place age verification checks. A further 73% also said that age verification should apply to 18 as well as R18-rated films

Elections for the 2015–2020 General Synod are taking place between now and mid-October (exact dates vary by diocese).

The General Synod plays a significant role in the governance of the Church of England and will be the scene of critical debates over the next five years. Any serving clergy or retired clergy with permission to officiate in a diocese, and any communicant lay person who is on a church electoral roll (or cathedral roll) who is 18 or above is eligible to stand.

Over the last four years more than 33,000 girls under the legal age of consent have been provided with contraceptive implants

or hormonal injections on the NHS.

The figures were compiled by the Government’s Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC.) 5,400 girls under 16 were given the contraceptive implant without parental consent. Of those 1,800 were aged 14 or under.

A summary published in May collating various surveys suggests that 29% of British Muslims would prefer to live in this country under shari’a law rather than British law.

31% agree that Muslim conversion to another religion is ‘forbidden and punishable by death’ and 17% believe it is appropriate that Muslims who convert to other religions are cut off by their families. Up to 20% say there is a clash between Islam and British values.

Pro-life campaigner Bernadette Smyth has been cleared of harassing a pro-abortion activist on 29 June, following an appeal.

In November last year Smyth was found guilty of harassing Dawn Purvis on two occasions earlier in the year. She was given 100 hours of community service and a five year restraining order stopping her from approaching Purvis or anyone seeking to enter the Marie Stopes clinic. She learned that her appeal against the conviction was successful due to insufficient evidence.

The National Secular Society have spoken out against the prosecution of a Northern Irish preacher who criticised Islam.

They say taking the case against James McConnell is ‘palpably harmful to religious freedom and the fundamental right to freedom of expression.’ McConnell is being prosecuted for comments made in a sermon, which was available online, in which he said: ‘Islam is heathen... satanic... a doctrine spawned in hell.’ The 78-year-old is being prosecuted under the Communications Act 2003.