DUP man keeps liberal stance on abortion laws

Cllr Scott pictured during his time as Mayor with Arlene Foster MLA.

Former Ulster Unionist representative, Cllr John Scott, who served as Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council for the 2016/17 term, recently joined the DUP after sitting as an independent for a number of months.

The Macdeon DEA representative has previously voiced support for equal marriage and changes to Northern Ireland’s abortion laws.

In an interview with the Times in April 2016, the then UUP member said: “I agree that there needs to be more discussion around the issue of abortion. At the end of the day we are part of the United Kingdom. I’m not saying that we should go as far as it is in England, but the law should be relaxed.

“People with money from Northern Ireland can go across the water and have an abortion. People without money can’t afford to do that. People can walk into a chemist and buy the morning after pill; is that not the same thing?

“I don’t agree that the young girl in Belfast (who bought abortion drugs online) should have been prosecuted recently in the high profile case. It is time our Assembly members got together and had a rethink about the law on abortion.”

Speaking to the Times on Tuesday, November 28 2017, Cllr Scott said his stance had not changed. He said: “I believe that abortion laws in Northern Ireland should be relaxed. I am also in support of equal marriage here, so my views are still the same on these issues.”