Wednesday, May 21, 2008

20 weeks… later?

How would a Conservative-majority Commons have voted on the proposed 20-week abortion limit that was heavily defeated yesterday?

It was a free vote, but there are nonetheless huge party differences:

  • 62% of Tory MPs voted for 20 weeks and 18% against.
  • 12% of Labour MPs voted for 20 weeks and 70% against.
  • 21% of Lib Dem MPs voted for 20 weeks and 67% against.

If we assume that the Tories make gains at the next election off Labour and the Lib Dems in proportion to how many seat those two parties currently hold, assume the other parties stay the same, take into account boundary changes, and assume that party MPs continue to split in the same proportions on the issue…

A Tory majority of 38 will mean more MPs backing 20 weeks than opposing it.