Policy Press

Beyond Pro-life and Pro-choice

The Changing Politics of Abortion in Britain

By Fran Amery

Tracing the evolution of political discourse on abortion from the 1960s to today, this interdisciplinary book argues that in order to understand the changing pluralities of contemporary abortion debate, it is necessary to move beyond an understanding of abortion politics as characterised by ‘pro-choice’ and ‘pro-life’.

Examining the changing pluralities of contemporary abortion debate in Britain, this innovative and important book shows why it is necessary to move beyond an understanding of abortion politics as characterised in binary terms by ‘pro-choice’ versus ‘pro-life’.

Amery traces the evolution of political and parliamentary discourses from the passage of the Abortion Act in the 1960s to the present day, and argues that the current provision of abortion in Britain rests on assumptions about medical authority over women’s reproductive decision-making which are unsustainable.

She explores new arguments around sex-selective abortion, disability rights, pre-abortion counselling and the push for decriminalization, and radically reconceptualizes the debate to account for these new battlegrounds in abortion politics.

“An innovative text in the field of reproductive justice literature, Amery provides a sophisticated account of the intricacies of the abortion debate for both students of Politics and Gender Studies and practitioners.” Sarah Cooper, University of Exeter

Fran Amery is Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Bath.

1. Introduction

2. Regulating the female body

3. Passing the Abortion Act

4. Feminism enters the debate

5. Backlash and appropriation

6. Into the 21st century

7. Towards decriminalisation? New battlegrounds in abortion politics

8. Conclusion