Anti-Abortion Activity is Increasing in the UK

This week, Good Law Project told reporters that a surge of "shadowy" funds, money that has been donated from an anonymous source, has been put towards anti-abortion groups in the UK.

The influx of "dark money" funding the controversial movement has raised questions regarding the amount of overseas political influence entering the nation.

Dark money defines a number of funds that have been sent by an undisclosed source to political groups and politicians in an attempt to influence democracy.

Alliance Defending Freedom is a listed charity that welcomes a multi-million dollar budget but does not reveal the identity of its donors.

Alliance Defending Freedom is one of the most influential and conservative groups based in the US that sets out to promote "Christian principles and ethics".

The amount of money provided to the UK branch of the "hate group" Alliance Defending Freedom between the years 2020 and 2022 had almost doubled – according to Good Law Project.

In 2020, Good Law Project figures demonstrate that the anti-abortion group in the UK received a staggering £390,000. Just two years later, in 2022, the group were given £770,000.

The controversial group operates in 109 countries and has seven offices across the globe, where it relentlessly attempts to destroy the legalisation of abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.

In a statement sent to reporters, Alliance Defending Freedom wrote: "There is nothing "dark" about our money, but that does not mean we can or will publish the names of our more than 750,000 individual supporters - in clear contravention of data privacy law."

Speaking of the mass amount of anonymous donations, Alliance Defending Freedom added: "We receive donations from supporters in 107 countries who contribute mostly small sums. This all goes toward our legal advocacy in defence of fundamental freedoms, to the benefit of everyone."

The group has noted that its "tireless work" assisted with the US Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, which once guaranteed a person's legal right to abortion.

Despite the Roe v. Wade overturns being met with much criticism on an international scale, in a statement on its website, Alliance Defending Freedom wrote: "Abortion harms women and destroys life."

"ADF will continue to promote and defend life-affirming laws and build a culture that recognizes that life is a human right and that women and their unborn children must be supported across the country," the statement continued.

Despite reports of a 10-year-old girl who had to travel from Ohio to receive an abortion in Indiana going viral, Alliance Defending Freedom went on to say: "The abortion industry has been profiting from the deaths of infants for decades. All, including children in the womb, deserve human dignity."

In the UK, the group have been accused of appearing outside reproductive and sexual health clinics, where they allegedly create anti-abortion activity and intimidate those leaving the facility.

In the UK, abortion has been legal since 1967 after the Abortion Act was passed in parliament. Almost 60 years later, abortion remains widely supported and available to most females for up to up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.

In a statement that was sent to reporters, Jennine Walker, the Legal Manager at Good Law Project, warned: "You may be surprised – and horrified – to learn that the charitable status of a dark money funded hate group from the US means our taxes are subsidising anti-abortion protests in the UK."

"After their hand in overturning Roe v Wade in the US, we should all be deeply troubled that they now seem to be turning their fire on the UK. We may never even know the true identity of who is trying to influence our policy because their funding is so shadowy," Walker concluded.