Miriam Cates tears into 'immoral' vote to decriminalise abortion after 24 weeks in blistering attack: 'It's barbaric!'

Marking an historic change to reproductive rights in Britain, MPs voted with a majority of 379 to 137 in favour.

Delivering her verdict on the vote, Cates told GB News host Patrick Christys that many voters will find the law change "very shocking".

Cates explained: "A woman would be lawfully allowed to terminate her own pregnancy at eight months or even nine months, or even during birth, and not face criminal prosecution.

"And I think a lot of people are pretty shocked that MPs have done this, just one percent of the public support abortion to birth."

Highlighting that the "completely unrelated" amendment was pushed through the Crime and Policing Bill, Cates added: "It wasn't in anybody's manifesto, nobody talked about this before the election, and a couple of MPs have introduced this amendment into a bill that's completely unrelated, a bill about policing and crime.

"So I think many people will find this very, very shocking."

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Making clear that she "empathises" with women who are in a vulnerable position in ending their pregnancy, Cates told GB News that there is "no point" having a law on abortion when there are "no consequences" for breaking it.

Cates stated: "The arguments put forward by those who seek to decriminalise abortion is that women should not face prosecution when they're at a vulnerable point, there might be a reason why they've ended the pregnancy.

"And of course, I think we can all empathise with that, but there's no point having a law if there aren't consequences for breaking it."

Warning of a possible rise in late-term abortions following the decriminalisation of the act, Cates cautioned that much like "cannabis or shoplifting", a weakening in criminalisation means a "rise" in those committing the crimes.

Cates said: "If you look at small boats or cannabis or shoplifting, which have all effectively been decriminalised, we see a lot more of it. And I'm afraid that is what we're going to see with these dangerous late-term abortions.

"If you think about what actually has to happen to the baby in that circumstance, it still has to be delivered. They attempt to kill it before birth, but it's not always successful. Some babies are born alive and then left to die."

Cates concluded: "And what actually happens to the baby in that circumstance is horrific. Everybody's supportive of women and women's rights, and there's obviously a strong pro-choice movement in this country, but there is a baby involved.

"And the vast majority of people think that beyond the 24 week point, when a baby is fully viable outside the womb, it is immoral and frankly barbaric to end its life."