UK equalities minister hails 'great day' as polls show Ireland votes to legalise abortion
2 min read
The UK's Equalities Minister has shown her support for ‘Yes’ voters in the Irish abortion referendum, after exit polls revealed more than two thirds of people voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment.
Exit polls carried out on 4,000 voters by the Irish Times revealed that 68 per cent of people voted to legalise abortion in the country, with polls from Irish broadcaster RTE placing the figure at 69.4 per cent, after carrying out a survey of 3,800 voters.
In the same polls, it was revealed around 30 per cent of people voted against repeal.
Early this morning, the UK's Penny Mordaunt hailed the result as “a historic and great day for Ireland, and a hopeful one for Northern Ireland”, and paid tribute to those who had returned to Ireland to cast their votes.
She tweeted: “That hope must be met. #HomeToVote stories are a powerful and moving testimony as to why this had to happen and that understanding and empathy exists between generations. #trustwomen."
Under the current law, known as the Eighth Amendment, an unborn child has the same right to life as the mother. Those who seek an abortion illegally can face a maximum of 14 years in prison.
The Irish Health Minister Simon Harris has also come out in support of the ‘Yes’ campaign, and said yesterday that he hoped to wake up to a country that was "more compassionate, more caring and more respectful”.
The official result of the referendum is expected later today, with the counting of votes beginning at 9am.
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