New legislation to introduce buffer zones outside abortion clinics has been backed by MSPs.
The law will prevent anti-abortion protesters from gathering within 200 metres of the 30 hospitals and medical facilities across Scotland where terminations are carried out.
The legislation will now move forward to receive royal assent.
The final stage of the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill was debated on Wednesday afternoon, with 11 amendments considered.
The bill was agreed by 118 votes to one.
Image: Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay is behind the bill. Pic: Scottish Greens
Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay, who lodged the bill, earlier called for colleagues across the chamber to back the proposals.
Ms Mackay said the protection “will be seismic for women and staff”.
She added: “This is for women and medical professionals who have endured protests amid disgraceful scenes in the past while accessing health care, and for all those who may need to go do so in the future.
“It also carves into history the work and support of others including Back Off Scotland, health organisations and unions including the STUC Women’s Committee, British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), and so many more, and trailblazing Irish Green Clare Bailey.
“Without their determination, support and courage that day may never have come.”
The vote means Scotland follows other parts of the UK in introducing such legislation.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:22
Buying pills online to end a pregnancy is illegal under the UK’s 162-year-old abortion law, and women who do so could face prosecution
Ms Mackay thanked the work of Scottish government officials and all the MSPs who voted for the bill to pass.
She added: “Today’s vote means never again should a woman have to be stripped of her dignity, privacy or emotion in opting to have an abortion.
“It enshrines her right to do so, and to do so without fear or intimidation.
“A woman’s right to decide what happens to her body is no one else’s business but her own and that is the message being sent loud and clear across Scotland tonight.”
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The Scottish government backed the legislation, with women’s health minister Jenni Minto praising Ms Mackay for championing the issue with “grace and compassion”.
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Meghan Gallacher agreed, adding: “Today’s debate is about women and their right of access to healthcare safely.
“Because women shouldn’t feel threatened or intimidated, especially when they are going through one of the most difficult and traumatising times.”
Campaign group Back Off Scotland welcomed the news.
X
This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to X cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow X cookies for this session only.
Co-founder Lucy Grieve said: “It’s wonderful that after four long years of campaigning, the day has finally come and safe access zones have been officially passed into law.
“This has been a hard-fought campaign, and I’d like to pay tribute to Alice Murray and Lily Robertson who both put their head above the parapet in the early days of our campaign to bravely share their own stories of facing anti-abortion activists at the doors of sexual health clinics.
“Without Alice and Lily, we would not have been able to give a voice to the so many women, abortion providers, and others who have been impacted by this harassment.”
Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Image: Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
More on London Marathon 2025
Related Topics:
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out forming coalitions at a local level with Reform after the council elections next week.
Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, the Conservative leader did however categorically rule out a pact with Nigel Farage’s party on a national level.
“I am not going into any coalition with Nigel Farage… read my lips,” she said.
However, she did not deny that deals could be struck with Reform at a local level, arguing that some councils might be under no overall control and in that case, “you have to do what is right for your local area”.
“You look at the moment, we are in coalition with Liberal Democrats, with independents,” she said. “We’ve been in coalition with Labour before at local government level.
“They [councillors] have to look at who the people are that they’re going into coalition with and see how they can deliver for local people.”
She added: “What I don’t want to hear is talks of stitch-ups or people planning things before the results are out. They have to do what is right for their communities.”
More on Electoral Dysfunction
Related Topics:
A total of 23 councils are up for grabs when voters go to the polls on Thursday 1 May – mostly in places that were once deemed Tory shires, until last year’s general election.
It includes 14 county councils, all but two of which have been Conservative-controlled, as well as eight unitary authorities, all but one of which are Tory.
Ms Badenoch has set expectations low for the Tories, suggesting they could lose all the councils they are contesting.
The last time this set of councils were up for election was in 2021, when the Conservative Party was led by Boris Johnson who was riding high from the COVID vaccine bounce.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Image: Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Image: Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.