On October 17 the four religious leaders: Catholic Cardinal Seán Brady, Anglican Archbishop Alan Harper, Presbyterian Moderator Dr. Donald Patton and Methodist President Rev. Aian Ferguson wrote to the MPs expressing their belief that the abortion laws in Northern Ireland should be a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly.
After addressing that it is the “right of the Westminster Parliament to legislate in this matter,” the religious leaders noted that they “feel it is important for the government to respect the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland and allow locally elected MLAs to take the lead on this issue especially in light of the debate on abortion that took place in October 2007 when all of the main parties in Northern Ireland signaled their opposition to an extension of the 1967 Abortion Act.”
The letter continued by asking the MPs to take into account of the strong anti-abortion convictions held by “the majority of the people of Northern Ireland, by voting against the amendment.”