Queen's Speech: MPs vote to back Theresa May by slender majority after abortion funding deal

Patrick Grafton-Green11 September 2017
WEST END FINAL

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MPs have voted in the Commons to pass the Queen's Speech, supporting the Conservatives' programme for government.

After six days of debate, MPs voted to approve the government's legislative programme for the next two years by 323 votes to 309, a slender majority of 14.

It meant Theresa May cleared her first major Commons hurdle since the Democratic Unionists struck a deal with the Tories to support them in Government earlier this week.

However it only passed after ministers rushed out an announcement of funding for women in Northern Ireland to have abortions in England on the NHS to head off a Tory revolt which threatened to derail the whole process.

The senior Conservative MP Sir Peter Bottomley added his name to an amendment by Labour backbencher Stella Creasy calling on the Government to provide funding so women in Northern Ireland, where there are much tighter controls, could have a termination without paying.

If the amendment had passed it would have meant the staunchly anti-abortion DUP would have been asked to support a Queen's Speech which explicitly provides for women from Northern Ireland to have free abortions.

Rather than risk more Tory MPs joining Sir Peter in supporting the amendment, raising the prospect of a Government defeat, Chancellor Philip Hammond announced ministers had found the cash needed.

"I know this is a matter of great importance to members on both sides of the House and an issue which I know my colleagues on the Treasury bench have been looking for a solution to," he said.

The concession was welcomed by Ms Creasy, who withdrew her amendment without putting it to a vote, on the basis of the Government's assurances.

"Let us send a message to women everywhere that in this Parliament, their voices will be heard and their rights upheld," she told MPs.

Downing Street said the estimated cost was around £1 million-a-year, but added: "We are committed to funding in excess of this if required to meet the commitment."

The Government's decision to concede so rapidly underlined the fragility of Mrs May's position in the Commons where she is now dependent on the votes of the 10 DUP MPs, having lost her majority in the General Election.

The arrangement with the DUP, which will see £1 billion channelled to Northern Ireland, was bitterly denounced in the Commons chamber by Tory backbencher Heidi Allen who said they should have been prepared to govern as a minority administration.

"I want an honest, transparent, collaborative, respectful and positive kind of politics so I can barely put into words my anger at the deal my party has done with the DUP. We didn't need to do it," she said.

"I must put on record my distaste for the use of public funds to garner political control.

"We should have run with a minority government and showed the country what mature, progressive politics looks like."

Despite opposition to Mrs May from within her own party, a number of amendments put forward by the Labour Party failed.

One supporting Jeremy Corbyn’s alternative plan for Government, which called to end austerity, was beaten by 323 votes to 297, a majority of 26.

And MPs also defeated an amendment from Labour's Chuka Umunna urging the Government to keep the UK within the single market and customs union after Brexit.

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