I think it's reasonably likely that DUP involvement would torpedo any attempt to increase access to elective abortion in Northern Ireland, but that it is very unlikely that there would be any "promises to reduce the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trangender or intersexual community, or to reduce womens' rights to abortion" in the rest of the UK, and it costs May nothing to make that statement. Any such legislation would have to pass the Commons, there'd have to be a free vote on it, and a more Conservative HOC that voted for equal marriage recently isn't going to suddenly backtrack. No UK government is interested in introducing legislation to restrict abortion - it would be time-consuming and risky, there is nothing for the Conservatives to gain, and the DUP won't care. What won't happen is legislation for improved rights to abortion, for LGBT people, for women, but that wasn't going to happen anyway. After all, they're going to be very busy with Brexit.
TL:DR I understand why people are worried, because the Conservatives are awful and the DUP worse. But I think that outside Northern Ireland it isn't likely to be an issue. Inside Northern Ireland, OTOH, obviously is much more of a concern. And then there's the whole issue of the peace process.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2017-06-10 06:38 pm (UTC)I think it's reasonably likely that DUP involvement would torpedo any attempt to increase access to elective abortion in Northern Ireland, but that it is very unlikely that there would be any "promises to reduce the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trangender or intersexual community, or to reduce womens' rights to abortion" in the rest of the UK, and it costs May nothing to make that statement. Any such legislation would have to pass the Commons, there'd have to be a free vote on it, and a more Conservative HOC that voted for equal marriage recently isn't going to suddenly backtrack. No UK government is interested in introducing legislation to restrict abortion - it would be time-consuming and risky, there is nothing for the Conservatives to gain, and the DUP won't care. What won't happen is legislation for improved rights to abortion, for LGBT people, for women, but that wasn't going to happen anyway. After all, they're going to be very busy with Brexit.
TL:DR I understand why people are worried, because the Conservatives are awful and the DUP worse. But I think that outside Northern Ireland it isn't likely to be an issue. Inside Northern Ireland, OTOH, obviously is much more of a concern. And then there's the whole issue of the peace process.