Wednesday 2nd April 2025
Responding to the claims published in The Telegraph that the “PM’s hopes of avoiding Donald Trump’s tariffs may hinge on case of pro-life activist arrested for peaceful protest”, Heidi Stewart, Chief Executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, BPAS, said:
“Women’s ability to access legal healthcare services should not be used as a political football.
“Safe Access Zones do not stop free speech, protest, or campaigns – they simply move groups down the road to ensure that women’s right to privacy is respected. An overwhelming majority of Parliament, including MPs from all national parties, supported the introduction of these measures – providing a strong democratic mandate for this essential change, and the vast majority of the British public support buffer zones too. We will not allow our hard-won rights to be rolled back by political posturing from US officials.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact Katherine O’Brien, Head of Campaigns and Communications. on katherine.obrien@bpas.org or 07881265276.
About BPAS
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service, BPAS, is a charity that sees over 100,000 women a year for reproductive healthcare services including pregnancy counselling, abortion care, miscarriage management and contraception at clinics across Great Britain.
BPAS exists to further women’s reproductive choices. We believe all women should have the right to make their own decisions in and around pregnancy, from the contraception they use to avoid pregnancy right the way through to how they decide to feed their newborn baby, with access to evidence-based information to underpin their choices and high-quality services and support to exercise them.
BPAS also runs the Centre for Reproductive Research and Communication, CRRC. Through rigorous multidisciplinary research and impactful communication, the CRRC aims to inform policy, practice, and public discourse. You can find out more here.