1.04: (Clare Bailey) - Running the gauntlet

Big Sexy Talk

This episode contains an in-depth interview with Clare Bailey. Clare is a former leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland and represented the South Belfast constituency from 2016 to 2022. During her time in the Northern Ireland Assembly, she spearheaded legislation to introduce safe access zones outside abortion clinics, the first law of its kind in the UK and Ireland. Clare was a founding pupil at Lagan College, and is a Trustee of Informing Choices NI.

Clare talks about her memories of attending Lagan College; her contrasting experiences of growing up in Belfast and the Netherlands; studying politics at Queen’s University and her decision to join the Green Party; volunteering as a clinic escort at the Marie Stopes clinic in Belfast; being elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2016; working alongside politicians with opposing views; passing legislation to introduce safe access zones outside abortion clinics; and her aspirations for sexual and reproductive health going forward.
If you would like support around a sexual health issue you can call the Sexual Health Helpline on 028 9031 6100.
Useful links
https://informingchoicesni.org/pregnancy-choices-counselling
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/abortion-services
Resources
Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023
Supreme Court Judgment - Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland - Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Northern Ireland) Bill

News articles
A BBC article following the Supreme Court decision to uphold Clare Bailey's safe access zones legislation as being lawful
A feature article from the Belfast Telegraph focusing on Clare Bailey
A video of political commentator Alex Kane singing on the steps of Parliament Buildings after Clare Bailey was elected to the NI Assembly in 2016