Labour’s plan to beef up the buffer zones around abortion clinics would literally criminalise the thoughts in your head.

The previous Conservative government did, at least, recognise that such prosecutions were excessive. Before implementing Section 9, the Home Office published draft guidance last year encouraging a light touch in enforcing it. One thing it emphasised was that suspicions of private prayer or thoughts should never be used as an excuse for police interrogation.

Now even this is up in the air. Last Thursday, it emerged that the Labour government is considering a total ban on silent prayer outside abortion clinics. According to the Telegraph, the Home Office is planning to scrap previous provisions that would have allowed not only for silent prayer within buffer zones, but also ‘consensual’ communication such as handing out leaflets or engaging in conversation. Given that Cooper voted against making allowances for silent prayer last year, we shouldn’t be surprised if this is reflected in the new guidance.

Whichever side of the abortion debate you find yourself on, this is an incredibly worrying development… Continue