What is the Heartbeat bill campaign?
The Heartbeat Bill Campaign is an independent campaign seeking to introduce the UK’s first Heartbeat bill.
When was it launched?
The campaign was launched in September 2025 with the publishing of a government petition proposing a bill that would ban abortion in non-extreme cases when a heartbeat can be detected.
When does the heartbeat start?
The heart starts beating at 21 days after conception; however, it is not detectable with an ultrasound until around six to eight weeks from the last menstrual period.
What will happen if we get 100,000 signatures?
If we get 100,000 signatures, our bill will be considered for debate in the House of Parliament. While this debate is not absolutely guaranteed, with enough signatures and enough MPs willing to debate this important bill, it is likely it will go ahead.
What are the details of the bill?
The bill is not yet drafted; however, once drafted, it will seek to protect all babies in the womb from the moment of a detectable heartbeat in non-extreme cases. Meaning that abortions for social reasons will no longer be allowed under our rules.
Who is behind it?
The campaign was started by Christian Hacking, a UK pro-life activist who uses a wheelchair. He worked with a number of good friends in order to get it launched. In March 2026, it was handed over to Joshua McDonald to lead for its next phase.
What are the exceptions to the bill?
The extreme cases allocated by the Bill will include rape, to save the life of the mother, and fatal fetal abnormality.
Will babies with Down Syndrome be protected by this Bill?
Down syndrome is not a fetal disability and should not be treated with a death penalty. Under this law, the diagnosis of Down syndrome will no longer be grounds for abortion.
Why is the bill so necessary?
According to the latest UK figures, we intentionally kill around 300,000 unborn babies a year. Since 1967, we have intentionally killed around 10.8 million babies in the womb. The societal impact of these abortions has been catastrophic, not simply on babies but also on women.
What does this bill have to do with immigration?
This bill is not directly linked to mass immigration; however, the reasons that have led to mass immigration and the solutions to reducing it are. By dramatically restricting abortion figures, our nation could increase the number of British people entering our schools, universities, and jobs by over 100,000–200,000 a year. It will also reduce the harm done by abortion and thereby increase the security and sensitivity of these babies’ upbringing.
How many babies will this Bill save?
It is impossible to calculate the exact figure due to a variety of factors, including the impact the bill will have on public attitudes regarding abortion, and the fact that people may choose to have undisclosed and illegal abortions after the Bill has passed. This said, using stats from 2020–2023, if all abortions beyond 7 weeks did not go ahead, then around 120,000 babies would have been saved from abortion.
Is this campaign American-funded?
No, this is born and bred in the UK. This campaign has not received any funds from the USA.
Do heartbeat laws even work?
Evidence from the USA shows that heartbeat legislation does save lives. It is estimated by the author that a UK bill could save up to 120,000 babies a year.
What impact does abortion have on a woman?
The science is mixed here; however, there is a growing weight of evidence that abortion has a negative emotional and physical impact on women. This impact has been routinely minimised and denied by the abortion industry, which highlights studies that don’t track women’s long-term health. NHS numbers are still not routinely collected as part of abortion procedures, meaning we have no longitudinal data.
How is this strategy different from other strategies?
This campaign is markedly different from other strategies in a variety of ways. Firstly, it is offensive. We are not waiting to respond to the abortion lobby but rather seeking to take the fight to their door so to speak. Our bill, and the debate around it, will force a much needed national conversation on the humanity of the unborn child, moving the focus away from the criminalisation of women. Secondly, our campaign provided a clear and bold legislative stepping stone to the goal of “making abortion unthinkable”. Thirdly our campaign and its sister organisation Vote Life has the ability to make the heartbeatbill a defining voting issue.
Is this bill abolitionist?
This bill does not seek the immediate and total banning of abortion on the grounds that such a goal, however noble, is unachievable at this time. Rather, this bill seeks to begin a national conversation that, if successful, will vastly reduce the number of babies intentionally killed each year by abortion. Once this bill is passed into law, we can begin to address the remaining cases using separate legislation.
Is this bill anti-women?
No, a Bill that seeks to protect healthy babies inside of healthy women from being intentionally killed cannot be logically described as anti-women. Rather, abortion, which monetises the death of her child and damages the mother-child relationship and health is anti-women. It was not without reason that early feminist Alice Paul referred to abortion as “the greatest exploitation of women.”
Pregnancy is not a medical condition to be cured but a natural phenomenon that occurs in the vast majority of cases after consensual sex. Taking human life because a baby is not wanted damages the fundamental nature of the unique ability of women to nurture.
Do unborn babies feel pain?
Yes, according to the latest studies, unborn babies feel pain from around 12 weeks onwards. Some studies suggest they feel pain from as early as 8 weeks. The Heartbeat bill is one way of raising this as a national talking point and minimising the suffering of babies in the womb, beyond 7 weeks, who will now be protected by our law.
Does abortion harm women?
Yes, there is a growing weight of evidence that abortion harms women. ,Numerous large peer-reviewed studies suggest a connection between abortion and health risks, including an increased risk of breast cancer (Brint 2017 and Huang et al. 2014; Breast Cancer Prevention Institute (2020)), a higher risk for future ectopic pregnancies (Levin et al. 2011), and increased risk of placenta previa (Anath et al. 1997; Ancel et al. 2004; Rooney and Calhoun. 2003). Studies like Colman 2011 and Fergerson 2013 also point to an increased risk of negative mental health consequences, including anxiety, depression, self-harm/suicide, substance abuse, and alcoholism.
Does the bill seek to send women to jail for conducting abortions outside of this new legal framework?
No, the primary purpose of the bill is to protect babies in the womb in non extreme circumstances. If there is to be a punitive function of the bill this should primarily be addressed to the abortion industry if they indiscriminately orchestrate illegal abortions. At this stage in its life the bill is not seeking to reverse recent laws that exempt women from prosecution or criminal investigation for conducting illegal abortions at home, though we do realise that the matter may need to be readdressed if we are serious about our primary objective.
Should there be any sanction for women who conduct illegal abortions?
For the promotion of virtue and the restriction of vice, it may be necessary to introduce separate legislation to reinstate legal sanctions upon women who kill healthy unborn children outside of the legal framework, but this is not the focus of this legislation.
Is this campaign a project of any large pro-life organisation?
No, the Heartbeat bill Campaign is not a project of any other pro-life group. Rather, it is the independent initiative of a small group of pro-life people who are seeking to turn the tide on a culture of death by presenting a bold but broadly acceptable piece of legislation that the majority of individuals can get behind.
Why is it so necessary?
This campaign is vitally necessary to change the public debate on abortion.