Nine in 10 UK voters across parties support right to abortion, poll finds
New polling has found that whatever their party political leanings, an overwhelming majority of people support the right to access an abortion – although young people, in particular, fear reproductive rights may be reduced.The YouGov polling, commissioned by MSI Reproductive Choices to mark its 50th anniversary, found nine in 10 people support the right to access an abortion.This was the case with 94% of Labour voters, 91% of Conservative voters, 95% of Green voters and 86% of Reform voters, pointing to one of the clearest indicators of cross-party political consensus in the UK.The survey also found almost one in five people think abortion access could be reduced, rising to more than a quarter of 18- to 25-year-olds.Respondents cited developments in the US and the rise of the far right as factors.
Katie, 28, moved to the UK from Nebraska soon after the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade, removing the federal right to abortion.Katie said: “When that decision was overturned, it fundamentally changed how I saw my future in the country.It felt like a clear signal that even deeply personal medical decisions were no longer protected.That loss of autonomy played a major role in cementing my decision to move to the UK.“My experience here has been very different,” she added.
“I feel genuinely cared for by the healthcare system in a way I never did in the United States.That sense of security and support has made a meaningful difference in my life.”While abortion is often seen as a taboo subject, the polling found that more than two-thirds of people said they were comfortable discussing their views on abortion, rising to three-quarters among young people.Daisy Roscoe, 23, from London found out she was pregnant eight months after having a baby 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 obligated to go through.“A lot of the women in my family have had abortions but I’m the first person to keep a pregnancy and have an abortion in my friend group,” she added.“I was really clear with all my friends that this was my choice.I invited the women around me to ask me questions.I was clear about what happened, the process and what happened afterwards.
We feel comfortable sharing information about pregnancy so why would we not speak openly about abortion?”However, Roscoe also said she was “very concerned” about news coming from the US about reproductive rights.“It’s definitely my age group where I see a lot of worry about reproductive rights and fears around US politics bleeding into the UK,” she said.Sophie Verstraeten, 27, lives in south London.She has been in a relationship for nearly nine years and has always known that she and her partner did not want children.“A lot of my friendship group are male.
I was open with all of them about having an abortion and they were so supportive,” she said.“They all responded asking if there’s anything that they can 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 point too.”She added: “I feel hopeful about the future of reproductive rights here, but it’s important to not be complacent.You still need 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 it 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, the 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 it has “become a mainstream, openly discussed part of life”.McCudden said:“Over the past 50 years, we’ve seen a clear arc of progress towards greater openness and understanding, yet the loud anti-abortion minority get a disproportionate amount of attention in public debate.These findings show that anti-abortion views are far from mainstream.“Nine in 10 people in this country are pro-choice, and one in three women has an abortion in her lifetime,” she added.“At a time of global attacks on reproductive rights, most notably in the United States, we can be proud that there are MPs from all major parties who have voted to improve our Victorian abortion laws, to protect abortion clinics from harassment through safe access zones, and to protect telemedicine.
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Iran war hurting UK economy as consumer confidence falls; BP’s new chair suffers investor revolt – as it happened
Breaking: UK consumer confidence has fallen for the third month in a row, as people grow more nervous about their personal financial situation and the economy.Data provider GfK’s Consumer Confidence Barometer, just released, has fallen by four points to -25 in April, the biggest drop in a year.That’s the lowest level since autumn 2023, indicating that the disruption and high energy prices caused by the Iran war is alarming consumers.When asked about the UK economy, the measure for the country’s general economic situation over the last 12 months decreased by eight points to -51. Expectations for the general economic situation over the coming 12 months fell by six points to -43, GfK reports
Simon Edye obituary
My friend and one-time employer Simon Edye, who has died aged 73, ran the popular Ronaldo Ices in Norwich for more than 40 years, starting with one homemade, hand-hauled Victorian-style barrow and going on to supply shops, restaurants, theatres and visitor attractions throughout East Anglia.Born in Sidlesham, West Sussex, to John Edye, a journal editor, and Alison (nee Allan), a teacher, Simon was the eldest of three brothers. He went to Chichester high school for boys, then in 1970 started a social sciences degree at the University of East Anglia, but dropped out, settled in Norwich and tried his hand at various jobs: fruit and veg picker and ganger, acupuncturist, taxi driver and bicycle repairman, for which a friend painted the humorous sign “Honest Ron Enterprises – Bicycle Repairs”.With Simon’s brother, Jo, “Honest Ron’s” then went into the stir-fry business, with a stall at Stonehenge, Albion Fairs in East Anglia, and even the Epsom Derby. In 1983, Simon built his barrow and started selling ice cream on Norwich’s pedestrianised London Street
Private health records of half a million Britons offered for sale on Chinese website
The confidential health records of half a million British volunteers have been offered for sale on Chinese website Alibaba, the UK government has confirmed.The “de-identified” data, belonging to participants in the UK Biobank project, was found for sale on three separate listings last week. Ian Murray, the technology minister, told the Commons on Thursday that, after working with the Chinese government and Alibaba, the records had now been removed. It is not believed any sales were made.The latest breach comes after the Guardian revealed last month that sensitive UK Biobank data has been exposed online dozens of times, raising further questions about whether security has been too lax
Some Interrail travellers told to cancel passports as hacked data posted online
Holidaymakers across Europe are facing the stress and expense of getting new passports after their personal data was posted on the dark web after a hack of the Interrail company Eurail.Personal data, including passport numbers, names, phone numbers, email and home addresses and dates of birth of more than 300,000 European travellers was accessed in December. But this week Eurail revealed to customers that “data copied during the security incident has been offered for sale on the dark web and a sample dataset has been published on Telegram”.The announcement has led to renewed anger and confusion. The UK Passport Office has told at least one customer they needed to “cancel their passport to prevent it being used for fraudulent activity”, with the Home Office agency also indicating they needed to pay the full £102 fee for a replacement
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Driven hard, driven fast is very much the norm in Formula One, on and off track, but even by the sport’s own standards the development of Red Bull’s in-house engine project has been exceptional. As is what it has delivered.Walking through the gleaming corridors of the team’s bespoke engine manufacturing department at their Milton Keynes headquarters, it is all but impossible to conceive that only four years ago the area where the buildings stand was just empty space peppered with rubble.The decision to build their own engines rather than continuing to buy customer units from other manufacturers ranks among the boldest steps Red Bull have ever undertaken. It is no little feat even for a team who have long revelled in carving their own path in F1
Swiatek leads players’ surprise as WTA head Portia Archer quits after two years
A number of top players on the WTA tour have expressed their surprise at the abrupt decision by its chief executive, Portia Archer, to resign from her role this week after two years at the helm.“I heard literally two minutes ago, so I really don’t know why now and everything,” said Iga Swiatek after winning her first-round match 6-1, 6-2 against Daria Snigur at the Madrid Open. “We always had a good relationship. I felt like she listened to what we had to say and was really open-minded.”An experienced sports executive who previously worked in the NBA’s G League, Archer was appointed CEO of the WTA in June 2024
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