Evan Harris MP, honorary associate of the National Secular Society, who’s fought for abortion rights, gay rights, and all the other rights that the Daily Mail thinks we shouldn’t have (Harrumph! This country’s going to the dogs!), has been subjected to a character assassination in the Daily Mail. He must be doing something right.

Dr Evan Harris hardly fits the mould of cuddly Liberal Democrat MPs, who are usually so desperately anxious to be all things to all people.

Zealous, obsessive, and self-righteous, Harris, a former junior hospital doctor who now sits for the affluent Home Counties seat of Oxford West and Abingdon, has spent much of his Parliamentary career trumpeting his radical views on abortion, voluntary euthanasia, immigration and gay rights.

Meet Dr Death, the Lib Dem MP Evan Harris who backs embryo experiments, euthanasia and freer abortions | the Daily Mail.

The Humanist position on abortion

While a few Humanists aren’t comfortable with the principle of abortion on demand, most regard the right to a legal abortion as far preferable to the pre-1968 Abortion Act situation, when thousands of women were critically injured or even died through unsafe “back street” abortions. This is what’s happening now in many parts of the world, where religious anti-abortion campaigners have prevented the introduction of liberal abortion laws. George Bush’s government has contributed to this situation, by denying funds to NGOs that promote sexual health who offer safe terminations to the world’s poorest women.

The British Humanist Association supports Amnesty’s position on abortion, while the Vatican has withdrawn it’s support for Amnesty because of its stance. Humanists, including the distinguished supporter of the BHA Diane Munday, were involved in the campaign to legalise abortion in the 1960s.

Read about the UK’s abortion rights history here

See the letter in The Observer, signed by Harris and orthers, 4 November 2007

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