MP’s have voted to stop the prosecution of women who end their own pregnancies in a landmark vote.

The vote on Tuesday, June 17 was to amend the crime and policing bill which will mean women can not face jail for ending their own pregnancy after 24 weeks.

The vote was introduced by Tonia Antoniazzi, a Labour MP for Gower, who said in Parliament: “Originally passed by an all-male parliament elected by men alone, this Victorian law is increasingly used against vulnerable women and girls."

Antoniazzi's amendment has received backing from the main abortion providers, Royal Societies of Psychiatrists and Nurses, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Women’s Aid and the British Medical Association.

MPs were allowed to vote according to their personal beliefs with 379 voting in favour and 137 voting against.

The majority of votes against the amendment came from Conservative MP’s, one of them was the MP for Mid Devon, Sir Mel Stride.

Sir Mel Stride said: “I am a supporter of the right to choose, and most recently voted in favour of legalising abortion services in Northern Ireland in 2021. The vote on Tuesday night was specifically to decriminalise abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy. However, it is already legal at any point of a pregnancy when there is a risk to the woman’s life or there is a severe foetal abnormality.

“This change in the law is a profound decision, but it was afforded just two hours of debate in the House’s Chamber. Some experts hold concerns regarding its implication for vulnerable women at risk of coercion, and, with any vote on abortion, there is a balance to be struck between the rights of women and those of the unborn child.

“I felt that a change of this significance should not go into law based on insufficient debate and scrutiny.”

Sir Geoffrey Cox, MP for Torridge and Tavistock voted against the amendment.