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After being pushed to a vote, Labour MP Diana Johnson’s abortion decriminalisation bill passed its first reading yesterday with 208 ayes and 123 noes. Those against included 108 Tories, seven from the DUP, Tim Farron – and, perhaps more surprisingly, seven Labour MPs (a group mostly made up of the small number of Christian anti-choicers in the party).

The other interesting figure is 15: that’s how many Conservative MPs voted in favour of the backbench bill, despite the tricky politics of the Tory-DUP confidence-and-supply deal. It includes cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt and other frontbenchers, which is unusual as those on the government payroll don’t usually vote on backbench bills.

The main purpose of Diana Johnson’s bill was to demonstrate support for the move more generally and open the door for a crucial vote taking place in the Commons today. Labour backbenchers Stella Creasy and Conor McGinn have tabled an amendment to the Northern Ireland Bill that challenges NI’s abortion and same-sex marriage ban. It’s been co-signed by over 100 MPs from across parliament and has the support of some Tories, again despite fierce opposition from the DUP.

Theresa May maintains that these matters are devolved, even though Stormont is still suspended – which her own deal with the DUP doesn’t help – and Northern Ireland is therefore being governed mainly by Westminster. But these matters are also considered a conscience issue, so Tory MPs will have a free vote. This is a critical moment in the #NowForNI campaign.

“Are we really telling the people of Northern Ireland their human rights have to be the casualty?” Labour MP @stellacreasy defends her view that the UK government should intervene on Northern Ireland abortion law pic.twitter.com/xJ6LojINdo — Victoria Derbyshire (@VictoriaLIVE) October 24, 2018

Sienna @siennamarla

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