In recent years, we have seen troubling attempts to push legislation that undermines the sanctity of life. Too often, the liberal media chooses to silence pro-life voices while giving full platform to those who claim to speak for “choice.” Yet the “choice” they defend ends innocent lives, babies with no voice of their own, and often leaves women without the genuine compassion and support they truly need.

We regularly hear the slogan, “my body, my choice.” But I find it hard to accept that some of the loudest advocates of this phrase were also among the first to silence others during the Covid-19 vaccine debate in 2021 and 2022. When it came to those circumstances, choice seemed far less important. Consistency matters when we speak about rights, and surely the most basic right of all is the right to life.

I take great encouragement from the many dedicated pro-life organisations across the UK. Made up of people who give freely of their time and energy, these groups are building networks of hope, providing practical help, and showing women that real choices do exist. The fight for life is not an easy one, but it is a cause worth every effort.

At this year’s UK March for Life in London, I had the privilege of sharing a platform with Josiah Pressley, an abortion survivor and Baptist Pastor from the United States. Hearing his story of survival and faith, and his decision to devote his life to ministry and to helping women in crisis pregnancies, was deeply moving. His testimony was a powerful reminder that every life has meaning and purpose.

The late Charlie Kirk was another courageous and articulate advocate for life, whose voice is sorely missed following his tragic murder on 10th September 2025. Through his debates and discussions, he repeatedly showed that there is no moral argument that can justify the taking of unborn life. His ability to speak truth with conviction inspired many, and his absence leaves a real void in this movement.

When I made my maiden speech in Westminster in January 2020, I said clearly, “I want a society in Northern Ireland that values life, and I want to see services that will help women choose life.” That remains my heartfelt conviction today. Both lives in every pregnancy matter, mother and baby alike.

We must re-humanise the unborn child. It is not a “clump of cells” but a unique and unrepeatable human being, with its own DNA and its own right to live. Any parent who has seen their baby’s heartbeat on a scan knows the awe and wonder of that moment. And those of us who have been told that the heartbeat has stopped know the heartbreak that follows. These moments connect us deeply to the reality of life in the womb, fragile, precious, and deserving of protection.

Being pro-life is not about lacking compassion for women in difficult circumstances. Quite the opposite. It means standing beside them, ensuring that real help, care, and practical support are available. Too often, abortion is presented as the first and only option. We can and must do better. The NHS should not be used to end life, but to protect and sustain it, offering women the emotional and financial support they need to choose life confidently and without fear.

As we look back on more than half a century since the Abortion Act came into force, and on the more recent legislation in Northern Ireland, we must face the human cost, over 10 million unborn lives lost, and countless families changed forever. Let this anniversary not be one of quiet acceptance but of renewed resolve. Let us build a culture that values life at every stage, that supports women in crisis, and that speaks hope and compassion into a society that too often chooses despair.

The fight for life continues, and it is one we must never give up.

Carla Lockhart MP

Member of Parliament for Upper Bann

Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, Westminster