How US groups are driving a new generation of anti-abortion activism in the UK. 7 hours ago. Eve WebsterBBC News. Getty Images. For 21-year-old John Alexander, being against abortion came before finding faith.. As a teenager at school in Buckinghamshire, he was confused as to why most of his peers supported access to abortion. On social media he argued vocally against it.. Then, shortly after the pandemic, he became more interested in Christianity. He was raised in the Church of England (CofE), but thought the denomination was “dry” and involved “people sitting in pews not doing much”. He was inspired by the young pastor at a Pentecostal Church which discussed social issues like abortion more than CofE churches, he says. He also watched social media videos of street preachers.. At university he joined the pro-life society and later he became a fan of the American right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk.. “In the UK, people want to be polite, so they don’t tackle abortion in the same way because they are scared to talk about it,” he says. “For those who are frustrated by the culture here, they look at the States and how vocal people are, and [they] are inspired.”. Last month, John attended the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children’s Youth Conference – where attendance has grown steadily every year since it was created, organisers say.. Getty. Analysts, charity leaders, and young anti-abortion activists who have spoken to the BBC say they have spotted a rise in the number of British young people embracing anti-abortion activism.. There’s no single, clear cause.. The BBC has heard explanations that include opposition to the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently working its way through Parliament and which will decriminalise abortion at every stage of pregnancy in England and Wales (meaning women will not be prosecuted for ending their own pregnancies, even if they do it late in term, though doctors will still be bound by the existing 24-week limit).. And some anti-abortion campaigners cite an increase in young people like John discovering (or rediscovering) Christianity, particularly Catholicism (though this trend is contested).. But there’s another factor that has become particularly notable in recent months: the influence of America. Some young British people have told the BBC that they have been galvanised by US anti-abortion groups, many of which now have branches in Britain. And Charlie Kirk – the late political activist who toured US college campuses preaching right-wing views – has become something of a hero among a small group of young British people online.. Why are US anti-abortion groups and individuals becoming more prominent in Britain – and could their brand of politics actually succeed in a country with such a different political culture?. Kirk and campus politics. Those who support abortion rights say the nature of anti-abortion campaigning in Britain has changed.. Rachael Clarke, chief of staff at the British Pregnancy Adv
