Both Houses of Parliament have approved the introduction of exclusion zones outside of abortion facilities across England and Wales.

The Public Order Bill will criminalise any form of “influence” outside of abortion clinics – even including silent prayer.

An amendment to permit silent prayer and consensual conversations within the zones was proposed by Andrew Lewer MP, but failed to pass the House of Commons after a vote of 116 to 299.

In response, one group called the vote a “watershed moment” for fundamental rights and freedoms.

The vote comes despite the most recent government review (2018) finding that censorship zones would be an unnecessary and “disproportionate” restriction on rights, given that harassment is already criminalised under existing legislation, and instances of harassment outside abortion facilities were found to be “rare”.

It also came a day after charitable volunteer Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested for the second time for praying silently, near an abortion facility in Birmingham, despite the earlier charge being thrown out by magistrates for lack of evidence to substantiate her thought-crime.