Irish abortion referendum: Exit polls suggest landslide for repeal

The Irish prime minister has hailed his country's "quiet revolution" as early results point to a "resounding" vote for overturning the abortion ban.

Leo Varadkar was speaking after exit polls suggested a landslide vote in favour of reforming the law.

"The people have spoken. They have said we need a modern constitution for a modern country," he said.

The Republic of Ireland has voted overwhelmingly to overturn the abortion ban by 66.4% to 33.6%.

A referendum held on Friday resulted in a landslide win for the repeal side.

Currently, abortion is only allowed when a woman's life is at risk, but not in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality.

The Eighth Amendment, which grants an equal right to life to the mother and unborn will be replaced.

A landslide vote in favour of overturning Ireland's abortion ban gives "hope" to Northern Ireland, UK minister Penny Mordaunt has said.

The referendum result has sparked calls for the issue to be reassessed in Northern Ireland, where laws are much stricter than the rest of the UK.

But Democratic Unionist MP Ian Paisley said it "should not be bullied into accepting abortion on demand".

Voters in the Irish referendum backed a law change by 66.4% to 33.6%.

Following that result, Northern Ireland will soon become the only part of Britain and Ireland where terminations are all but outlawed.

The result of Ireland's abortion referendum has no impact on the law in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader has said.

Arlene Foster said the legislation governing abortion is a devolved matter.

She said it was for the Northern Ireland Assembly to debate such issues.

Labour and a number of senior Conservative MPs have called on Theresa May to back a reform in NI's abortion law after Friday's historic referendum.

Northern Ireland's abortion law is more restrictive than the rest of the UK.

Mrs Foster, whose party is propping up Theresa May's minority government, said a referendum was held in the Republic of Ireland because of the constitutional prohibition that existed there.

She said no such constitutional bar exists in Northern Ireland.

"Friday's referendum has no impact upon the law in Northern Ireland, but we obviously take note of issues impacting upon our nearest neighbour," Mrs Foster said in a statement.

"The legislation governing abortion is a devolved matter and it is for the Northern Ireland Assembly to debate and decide such issues."

Northern Ireland has been without a devolved government for almost 18 months, and several rounds of talks between the DUP and Sinn Féin have ended in failure.

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has brought a case before the Supreme Court arguing that current abortion legislation is contrary to human rights, especially with regard to victims of sex crime and fatal foetal abnormality.

If the challenge proves successful, the court's ruling would go back to politicians.

"Then it would fall to the Northern Ireland Executive and the assembly, if it was sitting, or in the absence of an assembly it would then fall to Westminster to deal with this," the commission's Les Allamby said.

"If there was a refusal to deal with that, then that would become a very significant issue."

Dawn Butler, the shadow minister for women and equalities, has called on the government to support legislation to extend abortion rights to Northern Ireland.

She called it an "injustice" that women in Northern Ireland are "having to travel to mainland UK" to access an abortion.

"Labour's manifesto commits to working with the Northern Ireland Assembly to bring about these changes and we want to see the Assembly reconvened to make such important decisions, but nearly eighteen months on, women in Northern Ireland should not have to suffer in its absence," Ms Butler said.

The shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, Tony Lloyd, said the Labour Party wanted to ensure that women in Northern Ireland had access "to safe and legal abortion".

He said the preferred route to do that was through the assembly in Northern Ireland.

Shadow attorney general, Labour's Shami Chakrabarti, called on Mrs May "a self-identifying feminist, to negotiate with the parties of Northern Ireland and legislate on this without delay. We can't have democracy without fundamental human rights".

Dr Sarah Wollaston, chair of Westminster's health committee, said women in Northern Ireland should have the same rights as other UK residents.

Downing Street is understood to believe that any reform "is an issue for Northern Ireland".

Prime Minister Theresa May is facing pressure to act after Ireland voted to end its abortion ban in Friday's referendum.

But a Downing Street source said it showed "one of the important reasons we need a functioning executive back up and running".

Northern Ireland has been without a government since January 2017, after a power-sharing deal between the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin collapsed.

Mrs May tweeted on Sunday: "The Irish Referendum yesterday was an impressive show of democracy which delivered a clear and unambiguous result. I congratulate the Irish people on their decision and all of #Together4Yes on their successful campaign." - PM @theresa_may #repealedthe8th"

The result of Ireland's abortion referendum has no impact on the law in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader has said.

Arlene Foster said the legislation governing abortion is a devolved matter.

She said it was for the Northern Ireland Assembly to debate such issues.

Labour and a number of senior Conservative MPs have called on Theresa May to back a reform in NI's abortion law after Friday's historic referendum.

Northern Ireland's abortion law is more restrictive than the rest of the UK.

Mrs Foster, whose party is propping up Theresa May's minority government, said a referendum was held in the Republic of Ireland because of the constitutional prohibition that existed there.

She said no such constitutional bar exists in Northern Ireland.

"Friday's referendum has no impact upon the law in Northern Ireland, but we obviously take note of issues impacting upon our nearest neighbour," Mrs Foster said in a statement.

"The legislation governing abortion is a devolved matter and it is for the Northern Ireland Assembly to debate and decide such issues."

Northern Ireland has been without a devolved government for almost 18 months, and several rounds of talks between the DUP and Sinn Féin have ended in failure.

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has brought a case before the Supreme Court arguing that current abortion legislation is contrary to human rights, especially with regard to victims of sex crime and fatal foetal abnormality.

If the challenge proves successful, the court's ruling would go back to politicians.

"Then it would fall to the Northern Ireland Executive and the assembly, if it was sitting, or in the absence of an assembly it would then fall to Westminster to deal with this," the commission's Les Allamby said.

"If there was a refusal to deal with that, then that would become a very significant issue."

Dawn Butler, the shadow minister for women and equalities, has called on the government to support legislation to extend abortion rights to Northern Ireland.

She called it an "injustice" that women in Northern Ireland are "having to travel to mainland UK" to access an abortion.

"Labour's manifesto commits to working with the Northern Ireland Assembly to bring about these changes and we want to see the Assembly reconvened to make such important decisions, but nearly eighteen months on, women in Northern Ireland should not have to suffer in its absence," Ms Butler said.

The shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, Tony Lloyd, said the Labour Party wanted to ensure that women in Northern Ireland had access "to safe and legal abortion".

He said the preferred route to do that was through the assembly in Northern Ireland.

Shadow attorney general, Labour's Shami Chakrabarti, called on Mrs May "a self-identifying feminist, to negotiate with the parties of Northern Ireland and legislate on this without delay. We can't have democracy without fundamental human rights".

Dr Sarah Wollaston, chair of Westminster's health committee, said women in Northern Ireland should have the same rights as other UK residents.

Downing Street is understood to believe that any reform "is an issue for Northern Ireland".

Prime Minister Theresa May is facing pressure to act after Ireland voted to end its abortion ban in Friday's referendum.

But a Downing Street source said it showed "one of the important reasons we need a functioning executive back up and running".

Northern Ireland has been without a government since January 2017, after a power-sharing deal between the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin collapsed.

Mrs May tweeted on Sunday: "The Irish Referendum yesterday was an impressive show of democracy which delivered a clear and unambiguous result. I congratulate the Irish people on their decision and all of #Together4Yes on their successful campaign." - PM @theresa_may #repealedthe8th"

MPs have won permission for an emergency debate on the abortion law in Northern Ireland.

Members from throughout the House - including government ministers - stood to back Labour MP Stella Creasy's call for a debate.

She told MPs the impact of the Irish referendum had been "felt around the world" and had "thrown a spotlight on the situation in Northern Ireland".

Speaker John Bercow granted a three-hour debate to take place on Tuesday.

Following last month's Irish referendum result, Northern Ireland will soon be the only part of either the UK or Ireland where abortion is illegal unless there is a serious risk to a woman's life or health.

There have been calls for the UK Parliament to legislate for abortion reform in Northern Ireland in the absence of a functioning devolved government.

Ms Creasy wants the Offences against the Persons Act 1861 to be repealed, saying this would remove a block to abortion law reform in Northern Ireland.

Her debate will not change the law but will give MPs a chance to air their views.

Earlier Theresa May met Conservative MPs pressing for changes to Northern Ireland's abortion laws amid calls for an emergency debate on the issue.

She met ex-ministers Amber Rudd, Maria Miller and Justine Greening, as well as women's minister Penny Mordaunt.

The PM has so far resisted calls to act in Northern Ireland following last month's landslide vote in the Irish Republic to liberalise its own laws.

No 10 says it should be dealt with by Stormont once devolution is restored.

"We recognise there are strongly-held views on all sides of the debate in Northern Ireland and that's why our focus is on restoring that democratically accountable, devolved government," Downing Street said after the meeting.

The Democratic Unionist Party, on whom Mrs May relies for her parliamentary majority, opposes changes to abortion law in Northern Ireland.

On Monday its leader Arlene Foster said some nationalist voters backed its stance.