VETERAN Co Derry republican Francie Brolly has said he is not surprised by comments from Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams supporting abortion.
The former MLA, who remains a party member, was speaking after Mr Adams said his personal position is that it is "up to women".
Last year The Irish News revealed how Mr Brolly's wife Anne, a former Sinn Féin councillor in Limavady, had left the party over its stance on abortion.
Britain’s 1967 Abortion Act does not extend to the north, where abortions are only allowed when a woman’s life is at risk or if there is a risk to her long-term mental and physical health.
In 2015 Sinn Féin passed a motion supporting abortion in limited cases where doctors believe an unborn child will die either in the womb or shortly after birth.
At its ard fheis the previous year, members rejected a proposal to give elected representatives a free “conscience vote”.
Speaking in Belfast at the launch of his latest book, Never Give Up, at the weekend, Mr Adams said his party supports the removal of the eighth amendment of the Irish constitution which protects the right to life of the unborn child.
“I think our party position reflects wider society,” he told The Irish Times.
“It should never have been in the constitution in the first place and it should be replaced by legislation which reflects our party position.”
Mr Adams also said his "personal position is that it is up to women”.
“Women have to have the right in all of these situations but as a party member I can only support the position which the party has worked out over a very, very long time, which as I say, I think reflects wider society.”
Mr Brolly, who is strongly anti-abortion, said he was "not surprised or shocked” by the remarks.
He said a party cumann based in Limavady has put forward a motion to this month's ard fheis calling for elected members to be allowed to vote in line with their own conscience on key issues.
"Clearly Sinn Féin don't operate that way. Sinn Féin (members) are asked to vote according to the conscience of somebody (like) Mary Lou McDonald or Gerry," he said.
Mr Brolly said freedom of conscience is "a fundamental human right and a fundamental republican right".
“Gerry is entitled to his opinion and I would be horrified if Gerry was told he could not have that opinion.”
A Sinn Féin spokesman said: "The issue of abortion has been addressed at all recent ard fheiseanna and we expect the same for this ard fheis where various views and positions will be heard.
"Delegates to the ard fheis will decide Sinn Féin policy."
Meanwhile, women from the north can access free abortions through the NHS in Scotland from today, after regulations laid in the Scottish Parliament last month came into force.
Scottish public health minister Aileen Campbell said: “I recognise the barriers that women from Northern Ireland face when they have to travel to access abortion services which is why we are exploring what more we can do to address them."
The NHS in England also recently extended free abortions to women from the north, including help with travel costs for those on low incomes.
Around 700 women travel to England from Northern Ireland each year for abortions.
