Nine in 10 UK voters across parties support right to abortion, poll finds | Reproductive rights

A new poll finds that regardless of their party’s political leanings, an overwhelming majority of people support abortion rights — even as young people, in particular, fear their reproductive rights will be curtailed.

The YouGov poll, commissioned by MSI Reproductive Choices to mark its 50th anniversary, found that nine in ten people support the right to access abortion.

This was the case for 94% of Labor voters, 91% of Conservative voters, 95% of Green voters and 86% of Reform voters, providing one of the clearest indicators of cross-party political consensus in the UK.

The survey also reveals that almost one in five people think that access to abortion could be reduced, or more than a quarter among 18-25 year olds. Respondents cited developments in the United States and the rise of the far right as factors.

Katie, 28, left Nebraska for the United Kingdom shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, removing the federal right to abortion.

Katie said: “When this decision was overturned, it fundamentally changed the way I saw my future in the country. It seemed a clear signal to me that even deeply personal medical decisions were no longer protected. This loss of autonomy played a major role in my decision to move to the UK.

“My experience here has been very different,” she added. “I feel truly supported by the health care system in a way I never have in the United States. This feeling of safety and support has made a significant difference in my life.”

Although abortion is often considered a taboo subject, the survey found that more than two-thirds of respondents say they are comfortable discussing their views on abortion, and this proportion rises to three-quarters among young people.

Daisy Roscoe, 23, from London, discovered she was pregnant eight months after giving birth last year.

“I had a difficult pregnancy with my daughter,” she said. “Being pregnant is different for everyone and it’s not something you should feel forced to experience.

“Many women in my family have had abortions, but I am the first person to sustain a pregnancy and have an abortion in my group of friends,” she added. “I’ve been very clear with all my friends that it was my choice. I’ve invited questions from the women around me. I’ve been clear about what happened, the process, and what happened afterward. We feel comfortable sharing information about pregnancy, so why wouldn’t we talk openly about abortion?”

However, Roscoe also said she was “very concerned” about the news coming out of the United States regarding reproductive rights.

“It’s certainly in my age group that I see a lot of concerns about reproductive rights and fears about US politics spilling over into the UK,” she said.

Sophie Verstraeten, 27, lives in south London. She has been in a relationship for almost nine years and always knew that she and her partner did not want children.

“A lot of my friend group is men. I’ve been open with them about abortion and they’ve been so supportive,” she said. “They all responded by asking if there was anything they could do. They knew I was supported in my relationship, but there was no hesitation that they would be available if I needed them at any given time.”

She added: “I’m hopeful about the future of reproductive rights here, but it’s important not to get complacent. You always have to be aware of what’s going on in the world. Until you’re in that situation, you don’t know how you’re going to feel. There are so many unknowns.

“That’s why it’s important to talk about our experiences with abortion. I can’t imagine this being a part of my life that I don’t talk about. So many people have abortions, so I don’t understand why we can’t talk about it like other medical procedures.”

Louise McCudden, UK head of external relations and advocacy at MSI Reproductive Choices (formerly Marie Stopes International), said the findings “remind us that people are united on abortion” and that abortion has “become a dominant and openly discussed part of life”.

McCudden said: “Over the past 50 years, we have seen clear progress toward greater openness and understanding, but the strong anti-abortion minority receives disproportionate attention in public debate. These findings show that anti-abortion views are far from mainstream.

“Nine out of ten people in this country are pro-choice, and one in three women have an abortion in their lifetime,” she added. “At a time of global attacks on reproductive rights, including in the United States, we can be proud that MPs from all major parties voted to improve our Victorian abortion laws, to protect abortion clinics from harassment with safe access zones, and to protect telemedicine. »