I won't debate the issue of the point at which human life begins because it is not a debate that will ever, in a million years, get us anything like close to consensus and I've banged my head against a brick wall too many times on that one. I also won't let myself get sucked into a debate about abortion time limits. Inevitably, that one gets my goat because of the sheer dishonesty of the anti-abortion lobby in campaigning to have it shortened, when they really ought to be taking the position of having it banned altogether if that's what they really think. Playing tactics of that sort with abortion is disgraceful. Of course, there is a discussion to be had about time limits, but I'm not joining in with it if those evangelical scumbags start sticking their oar in. Yes there are revolting practices surrounding abortion and I'll face up to that. But let's not forget that many of those revolting practices involve ignorance and poverty and knitting needles and you can make up as many laws as you like and preach morals at women until the bloody cows come home and you will always have those. More so if the laws are toughened, a dilemma never confronted by the anti-abortion brigade. The answer lies in education, especially of boys and men, free contraception and driving out discrimination against girls and women wherever it arises. Easy to say, I know, but read my lips: unless we address that, abortion will continue to be rife. Moralising popes and nuns, preachers of abstinence and dealers in ignorance are the champions of abortion.