Tory’s abortion counselling shake-up is defeated

A bid to prevent abortion providers offering counselling services to women seeking terminations was defeated in the Commons.

In a free vote MPs decided by 368 votes to 118 – a majority of 250 – against the move in a defeat for Tory MP Nadine Dorries, who led the campaign to change the law.

All three main party leaders indicated they oppose the amendment, although Ms Dorries claimed David Cameron had been “blackmailed” by his Liberal Democrat coalition partners.

Under the proposed change, counselling would have been offered by “independent” providers rather than organisations connected with offering abortion procedures. In Prime Minister’s Questions Ms Dorries pointed out that the Lib Dems only made up eight per cent of all MPs and left Mr Cameron speechless when she asked when he would tell Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who is boss.

Later, she pointed the finger for the defeat at former Lib Dem MP Evan Harris, one of the most vocal critics of the change and a member of the party’s policy committee.

“Basically, the Liberal Democrats, in fact a former MP who lost his seat in this place, is blackmailing our Prime Minister,” she said.