(Image: PA)
The SNP has been threatened with legal action after it cancelled an anti-abortion group’s event on coercion at its upcoming conference.
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) – the UK’s largest anti-abortion organisation – claims SNP officials, including the party’s chief executive Callum McCaig, raised no concern over the fringe when it was first booked in August.
The fringe event, which was due to be hosted at the conference in Aberdeen on Saturday, October 17, stated there was a “critical gap” in Scotland’s legal framework with “no specific criminal offence for men who coerce women into having abortions”.
It drew controversy from campaign group Women for Independence (WFI), with the SNP confirming the event has now been cancelled.
The party has said it was “wrong” to allow the event to be planned in the first place.
An SNP spokesperson said: “Following concerns being raised by SNP members we have taken the decision to revoke permission to SPUC to hold a fringe event at our conference.
“We want SNP conference to be a place where all members can feel comfortable and it is clear our initial decision was wrong as it did not achieve that.”
But the SPUC has responded furiously, warning it will now take legal advice.
A spokesman said the SNP’s decision was a “breach” of the Equality Act 2010.
“The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children have been in contact with SNP Conference organisers, including the Party’s Chief Executive, since August and there was at no point any issue of concern raised,” the statement said.
“It is clear the SNP are determined to make many of their members and potential voters very uncomfortable, particularly those who believe in freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of conscience.
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“Our fringe event was on the subject of coerced abortion as we believe that no woman in Scotland should be coerced or pressured into having an abortion.
“The First Minister must now categorically state his views on this important issue: does he agree with SPUC that Scottish women should be legally protected from coerced abortion, if so why has he allowed a panel of expert women to be cancelled from his conference? Or is it the position of the SNP that women should not have specific coerced abortion legal protections? “
The SPUC said it will “now seek legal advice”.
The SNP has been asked for additional comment.
WFI had urged for the fringe event to be cancelled stating that it was “being presented as raising awareness on ‘the reality of coerced abortion’, this is merely a progressive veil for their outdated and bigoted beliefs”.
The campaign group added: “The organisation is against the widespread use of contraception, morning after pills, abortion decriminalisation, most forms of sex education, and advocates for heavy restrictions to be placed on women’s access to abortion.”
More than 250 people signed the WFI petition to have the fringe event removed, with MSPs Emma Roddick and Karen Adam also backing the calls.