"Many people, religious or not, must have been disappointed by the vote on the time limit for having an abortion is allowed, but this issue will not just go away. The law has an impact on people’s behaviour, but it does not force anyone to have an abortion. Even if the law remains, there’s much we can do to change the situation". This is how card. Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, primate of England and Wales and leader of five million Catholics, commented the vote with which the Westminster Parliament decided to retain 24 weeks as the time limit for having an abortion. According to Peter Jennings, spokesman for the archbishop of Birmingham, mgr. Vincent Nichols, "Catholics should consider the way the British MPs voted before checking their names on the voting papers. No MP who voted against human life deserves to be re-elected". "There are many people who agree that 200 thousand abortions a year is too high a number and is a source of profound sadness and concern for all of us", went on Murphy-O’Connor. The Catholic Church and the Pro-Life Movement have conducted a long campaign to bring such time limit to under 24 weeks, but all amendments were defeated in Parliament.
