Church abortion move criticised

Dr Williams insisted Christians be allowed to join a public debate

Pro-choice campaigners have criticised the Anglican Church for joining the debate on abortion, arguing their real motive is to make the practice illegal.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said medical advances and the "rising number of abortions" made a debate essential.

Abortion Rights said politicians should remember abortion was legalised to save lives and warned making it an election issue could spark a US-style debate.

However, anti-abortion groups have welcomed Dr Rowan Williams' comments.

Jim Dowson, national co-ordinator of the anti-abortion group UK Life League, said: "I think this is very positive and will start sending shockwaves through the establishment. Abortion is firmly established as a political issue."

Election issue

"We've found out that changing politicians' minds doesn't work so let's change the politicians."

Last week, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, called for abortion to become an election issue.

But Anne Quesney, director of Abortion Rights, told BBC News Dr Williams' comments on the debate in the Sunday Times were "concerning".

We get women ringing up the helpline saying they've been told to wait four or five weeks - it's an agonising wait Rebecca Findlay, Family Planning Association

"The anti-abortion lobby supported by the Church has the main intention of making abortion illegal.

"People may have forgotten that the main aim [of the decision to legalise abortion] was to save women's lives.

"Around 80,000 women around the world die each year due to botched abortions."

She said using abortion as an election issue was a move towards a US-style campaign.

"It's not an election issue, it's a personal issue.

"It shows a lack of compassion to women who need access to those services."

Rebecca Findlay of the Family Planning Association said while the law works, it is long waiting lists in the NHS that force some women to undergo late abortions.

"We get women ringing up the helpline saying they've been told to wait four or five weeks. They say 'what can I do?', but there's nothing they can do.

"It's an agonising wait."

Deliberate termination

Dr Williams said the large majority of Christians considered abortion "the deliberate termination of a human life".

The current law had created a "groundswell of distaste" in the country at large, he said.

"I think this is very positive and will start sending shockwaves through the establishment. Jim Dowson, UK Life League

Dr Williams said technological advances had provided a clearer picture of foetuses' consciousness and sensitivity to pain, and helped to keep prematurely-born babies alive.

Tory leader Michael Howard supports a reduction in the legal limit when abortions are allowed from 24 weeks to 20 and has said current rules are "tantamount to abortion on demand".

But Prime Minister Tony Blair has made it clear he has no plans to change the law.

He says abortion should not be an election issue, arguing it is a matter for individual conscience.

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said he had previously voted for a 22-week limit but medical advances mean "I don't know what I would do now".