Vice President Kamala Harris has condemned the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion which would overturn Roe v. Wade and rip up 50 years of abortion rights in the US, as a “direct assault on freedom”.

States are already rushing to declare whether they would outlaw or protect abortion rights. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom claimed a range of other rights could be eroded, warning “pay attention, America – they’re coming for you next”.

Meanwhile, leading conservatives have hailed what they see as a long-awaited triumph.

Roe v. Wade: Biden condemns ‘MAGA crowd’ over efforts to overturn abortion rights