The final full week of nominations for The Spectator’s Readers’ Representative Award has brought forth nominations for two female MPs on opposite sides of the abortion debate, Diane Abbott and Nadine Dorries.
Kate Smurthwaite applauds Abbott for tabling an amendment to the Human Fertilisation Embryology Bill which would allow women in Northern Ireland to have abortions. Smurthwaite says, ‘This would end the situation where 6,000 women a year are forced to save, borrow or steal £600 to £2,000 to travel to England to gain access to abortion services. It takes the bold view that a woman’s right to choose is just that — her right, and proposes that it apply uniformly to all women in the UK, ending 40 years of injustice.’ Smurthwaite concludes the amendment ‘could be the most important piece of legislation to affect women in this country for a generation’.
Frank Field receives a generous tribute from Rosemary Wilkinson, who lauds him as a ‘rock of ability, common sense and clarity in an ocean of misery and fear, spin and government boasts, and ridiculous accusations by those who should know better’.
The voting remains tight. Vince Cable, David Davis, Nadine Dorries and our former editor Boris Johnson all have considerable support. The winner will be revealed at the Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year Awards on 13 November.
You still have until Monday to make your nominations. All you have to do to put someone forward for the award is go to new.spectator.co.uk/parliamentarian and in no more than 250 words explain your choice. Terms and conditions can be found on the website.
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