Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg faced a furious backlash yesterday after he said he was ‘completely opposed’ to abortion, even after rape or incest

Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg faced a furious backlash yesterday after he said he was ‘completely opposed’ to abortion, even after rape or incest.

The practising Catholic and father of six, who has been tipped as a future Conservative leadership contender, said all terminations were ‘morally indefensible’.

The North East Somerset MP, who also opposes gay marriage, came under fire for his traditional views, which were branded ‘out of touch’ by critics.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain yesterday, Mr Rees-Mogg distanced himself from rumours that he could run for the Tory leadership before being asked for his views on abortion.

‘I’m completely opposed to abortion. Life begins at the point of conception,’ he said.

Asked if that meant he was opposed to abortion in all circumstances, including rape and incest, he said: ‘Yes I am. I’m afraid so. Life is sacrosanct and begins at the point of conception and I think it is wrong.’

Giving his views on gay marriage, he added: ‘I am a Catholic and I take the teachings of the Catholic Church seriously.

‘Marriage is a sacrament and the decision of what is a sacrament lies with the Church not with Parliament.

‘With same-sex marriage, that is something that people are doing for themselves. With abortion, it is something that is done to the unborn child. That is different.’

But Mr Rees-Mogg said he was not calling for a shift in the law, adding that women’s abortion rights were ‘not going to change’. The Church’s teachings on faith and morals were ‘authoritative’, he said, but he added it was not for him to judge others. He added that it was ‘wrong’ that Christian views were not accepted in Britain.

‘It’s all very well to say we live in a multicultural country... until you’re a Christian, until you hold the traditional views of the Catholic Church, and that seems to me fundamentally wrong,’ he said. He added that the ‘democratic majority’ were equally entitled to laws that do not follow the Catholic Church’s teaching.

But his words triggered fury, with Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, saying it was ‘shocking’ that someone with such views could be considered a future Tory leader.

‘The shocking thing is not really Jacob Rees-Mogg’s personal views – he’s entitled to them,’ she said. ‘The shocking thing is so many people in the Conservative Party seem to think he should be their next leader. I think that’s an appalling thought.’

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which provides abortions, said Mr Rees-Mogg’s ‘extreme’ views were ‘wildly at odds’ with public opinion. Katherine O’Brien, its head of policy research, said: ‘We are a pro-choice country, we have a pro-choice Parliament. Every politician is entitled to hold their own opinion on abortion. But what matters is whether they would let their own personal convictions stand in the way of women’s ability to act on their own.’

Family man: Mr Rees-Mogg with his family and nanny at the christening of his son Sixtus

But Catholic former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe said: ‘I agree with Jacob – a child is a child.

Doctrine that hasn’t changed for 2,000 years By Steve Doughty Social Affairs Correspondent The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church on abortion has been consistent for nearly 2,000 years. It has always maintained that abortion is a grave sin comparable to murder. Catholic doctrine says that a foetus has life and a soul from the moment of conception, and that no one has the right to take that life away. This applies even when the pregnancy is a result of rape. The Church regards rape as an evil crime inflicted on an innocent victim. However, in Catholic eyes, to follow rape with an abortion is to perpetrate a second crime against another innocent victim: the unborn child. Roman Catholic loathing of abortion has been the guiding force behind much of the pro-life movement which has resisted the spread of legalised abortion and euthanasia over the past 50 years. The Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s declared: ‘Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.’ Those who undergo or procure abortion suffer excommunication – a ban from attending church and receiving sacraments. In 1996, the Catholic bishops of England and Wales reminded Catholic politicians of the importance of a firm line in an election letter to the faithful. The document, the Common Good, was particularly aimed at Tony Blair, a regular attender at Catholic worship who was shortly to sweep to power in the 1997 Labour landslide. While a majority of English Catholics leaned to Labour, Church leader Cardinal Hume was no admirer of Mr Blair and the verdict on the future prime minister’s pro-abortion views was sharp. The election of Pope Francis in 2013 raised hopes among Catholic liberals that the Vatican might shift to a less restrictive position. Francis corrected this in 2014, calling abortion a horrific symptom of a throwaway culture. Advertisement

‘Those are his views, and if he’s asked about them he must answer honestly. If there’s going to be a storm every time a politician gives their honest views, there shouldn’t be criticism when they dodge questions.’

Last night, Mr Rees-Mogg unapologetically tweeted a Latin phrase from the Nicene Creed recited during mass which means: ‘And I believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.’

This week he topped polls among grassroots Tories as the favourite to take over from Theresa May. He has played down rumours about his leadership ambitions and suggestions that he may be given a ministerial brief in a future reshuffle. During yesterday’s interview, Mr Rees-Mogg said his party was more tolerant than the Liberal Democrats, whose former leader Tim Farron has faced repeated questions about his views on gay sex.

When he quit after the election, Mr Farron described the struggles of reconciling his religious views and politics. Explaining his decision to step down, he said he had found it ‘impossible’ to lead a liberal party and be a faithful Christian. The row over Mr Rees-Mogg’s comments came as Northern Ireland’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Barra McGrory, announced that medical staff in the province who refer women to hospitals in the rest of the UK for abortions will not face prosecution.

Abortion is legal in England up to 24 weeks under the Abortion Act 1967. However, if there is a substantial risk to the woman’s life or foetal abnormalities, there is no limit.

Mr Rees-Mogg recently topped a ConservativeHome poll of Conservative Party members as their favoured next prime minister.

The MP said he would not be a candidate if there was a leadership election, adding: ‘I fully support Mrs May; I want her to remain leader of the Tory Party.’ But he stopped short of ruling out a bid in the future, saying: ‘I am a backbench MP. In the history of the prime ministership [it] has never gone to a backbench MP.’

A spokesman for the PM made clear that she did not agree with Mr Rees-Mogg on abortion, but stressed that it was an issue for individual MPs’ consciences.

‘It’s a long-standing principle that abortion is for Parliament and, for individual MPs, it is a matter of conscience,’ said the spokesman. ‘The Prime Minister doesn’t happen to agree, but it is a matter of conscience.’

In July, Eton and Oxford-educated Mr Rees-Mogg announced the birth of his sixth child, Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher, The politician has also featured pictures of his other children – Peter, Mary, Thomas, Anselm and Alfred – on his Twitter feed.