Labor challenges top Tories over England's abortion rights voting record

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Labour MP Anneliese Dodds said women would be "really worried about the voting results of senior members of this government" as analysis found that top conservatives such as Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt and Suella Braverman opposed or abstained in abortion votes

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (

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Labour has called on the government to reassure women about access to redundancies as research has found key Cabinet ministers either abstained or opposed votes to extend England's abortion law.

Analysis of the voting results revealed that senior Conservative officials, including the Prime Minister, Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary, opposed or abstained in most votes to enshrine safe access to abortion in England since 2015.

These include votes on enforcing buffer zones around abortion clinics, access to early medical abortion at home, and an overhaul of Victorian abortion laws that include criminal penalties for women and doctors.

It comes amid concerns over the appointment of new Women's Minister Maria Caulfield, who has claimed protesters outside abortion clinics may just want to 'comfort' women.

It has now emerged that Ms Caulfield, a former member of a pro-life parliamentary group, is responsible for abortion policy in her other role as health minister.

Abortion is treated as a matter of conscience in Parliament, which means MPs are not required to vote for or against by party whips.

New Minister for Women Maria Caulfield (

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More than a third of the cabinet voted against making early medical abortion at home permanent and more than a quarter voted against buffer zones for abortion clinics, according to analysis of parliamentary records .

Rishi Sunak has abstained on every abortion-related vote in England since becoming an MP. He supported giving the Secretary of Northern Ireland new powers to enforce the commissioning of abortion services in Northern Ireland.

Swarmed over his voting record in the summer leadership race, the current PM says he missed votes because he was not in parliament and backed the limit current 24 weeks.

"I believe in a woman's right to choose," he said.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has repeatedly abstained or opposed abortion votes in England...