Jacob Rees-Mogg supports reducing abortion limit by ‘as many weeks as possible’
The eccentric Tory backbencher is a strict Catholic, and strongly disagrees with abortion in all circumstances
JACOB REES MOGG has called for the abortion limit to be reduced by "as many weeks as possible".
The eccentric Tory backbencher is a strict Catholic, and strongly disagrees with abortion in all circumstances.
He told BBC 5 Live Daily this morning: "I would support an amendment to reduce the number of weeks... by as many weeks as possible".
The Somerset MP, who has been tipped for the party leadership in the past, said that he did not agree with abortion being offered to women beyond the number of weeks that it could survive alone outside of the womb.
At the moment abortions can be carried out up to 24 weeks into a pregnancy.
"There are 185,000 abortions carried out each year, I think that is a deep sadness," he went on, but admitted that the Abortion Act "is not going to be amended" because most people did not agree with him.
Mr Rees-Mogg said that rape was a "great wrong", but added: "The question is - does a second wrong make it any better?"
And he admitted that people had come to his surgery to speak about rape in the past.
He was forced to defend his "extreme" views on abortion earlier this year when he said terminations should not be allowed - even after rape.
The Tory backbencher said he was entitled to his opinion after being criticised over his opposition to abortion in all circumstances.
The MP told Good Morning Britain: "I'm completely opposed to abortion. Life begins at the point of conception."
He later told the Daily Mail: "Rape is a great evil and a terrible crime, but that's not made better by then aborting the unborn child."
A number of other politicians have also said they would support the abortion limit being lowered.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in 2012 he would favour a change in the law to halve it from 24 weeks into pregnancy to 12.
Theresa May herself has said she would back the reduction of abortion time limits to 20 weeks.
Around a third of babies born at 23 weeks now survive, research earlier this year showed.
And earlier this year following the Tory deal with the DUP, Owen Paterson opened the door on debating the limit currently in place.
He said: "You might get a debate I suppose on further reduction of abortion times as medical science advances."
The DUP is anti-abortion and the procedure cannot take place in Northern Ireland under most circumstances.
Yesterday minsters unveiled plans to pay for women to come to England to have abortions.
And they will give financial support support for travel and accommodation for women on low incomes who want to have the procedure done too.
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is the 'enemy of Brexit', Jacob Rees-Mogg declares
The rising star MP lashed out at the top boss today, saying he had been "consistently wrong" about our EU exit.
He told the BBC's 5 Live today that he had repeatedly complained about the Brexit vote, and had issued a "panic rate cut which was completely unnecessary".
And he argued that the falling pound would help destabilise the economy in the end.
The Somerset MP also took aim at the BBC while on the programme, saying the corporation "always want to blame things on Brexit".
He went on: "It is consistently anti-Brexit... they have invited on many more remainers onto programmes than leavers.
"Perhaps BB stands for Brexit Bashing rather than British Broadcasting?"
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