Press Release: Nigel Farage appoints hard-line anti-abortion senior adviser — Abortion Rights condemns move

For immediate release

Date: 21/10/2025

Abortion Rights has condemned Reform UK’s decision to appoint Professor James Orr — a theologian known for his hard-line opposition to abortion in all circumstances — as a senior adviser to party leader Nigel Farage.

The campaign warns that Reform UK is “rapidly transforming into a safe haven for anti-abortion extremists,” accusing Farage of copying the US anti-abortion playbook that has stripped millions of women of their reproductive rights in America.

Professor Orr, a Cambridge academic with close ties to US far-right figures including Donald Trump’s vice-president JD Vance, has publicly opposed abortion even in cases of rape, incest, or serious risk to health. His appointment follows the recruitment of other politicians with similar records, marking what Abortion Rights UK describes as “a deliberate, hard-line shift” within the party.

Kerry Abel, Chair of Abortion Rights, said:

“Nigel Farage’s embrace of a hard-line anti-abortion adviser is not about free speech or debate — it’s about normalising extremist views that strip women and pregnant people of autonomy.

Professor Orr’s ideology mirrors the US anti-abortion playbook — a coordinated effort to roll back rights, undermine healthcare access, and turn women’s bodies into political battlegrounds.

This is an alarming moment for Britain. Farage is choosing to surround himself with people who believe the government should control women’s bodies.”

She added:

“Reform UK’s shift to the hard right on reproductive rights shows contempt for public opinion — the vast majority of people in the UK support safe, legal access to abortion.

Farage is borrowing tactics from America’s culture wars to inflame division and distract from the real issues voters face. We will not allow those tactics to take root here.”

Abortion Rights calls on all UK political leaders to publicly commit to defending and strengthening abortion rights, including safeguarding NHS access, enforcing clinic buffer zones, and protecting patients and medical staff from intimidation and harassment.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Abortion Rights is the national pro-choice organisation campaigning to defend and extend abortion rights across Britain.
The campaign warns that Reform UK is becoming a “refuge for anti-abortion politicians.” More information: https://abortionrights.org.uk/press-release-reform-becomes-home-for-anti-abortion-politicians/
Abortion Rights continues to highlight the growing influence of US-style anti-abortion movements in UK politics and calls for cross-party resistance to such regressive trends.
For media enquiries or interview requests, please contact:

press@abortionrights.org.uk | +44 07979 535242