Ben Carson says abortion should be outlawed - even in cases of rape and incest

The 64-year-old has foound himself at the head of polls in the state of Iowa

Ben Carson saying Ben Carson like things during a presser for his shiny new book. (Getty)

Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson – the man currently leading at least one poll in the crucial state of Iowa – has said he would like to see abortion outlawed in the United States. He said he would not make exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

In a series of comments in which he appeared to liken women seeking abortion to slave owners, he said: “During slavery- and I know that’s one of those words you’re not supposed to say, but I’m saying it - during slavery, a lot of slave owners thought they had the right to do whatever they wanted to that slave, anything that they chose.”

He added: “And what if the abolitionists had said, ‘I don’t believe in slavery but you guys do whatever you want’? Where would be?”

Ben Carson will go head to head with his rival candidates in the Republican debate (Getty Images)

In some of his most strident comments yet on the issue, Mr Carson said the only reason to permit abortion was if it could be shown that the mother’s health was seriously threatened if the pregnancy were continued.

“Rape and incest, I would not be in favour of killing a baby because the baby came about in that way,” he said, speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press.

“And all you have to do is go and look up the many stories of people who have led very useful lives.”

Mr Carson, 64, a celebrated former surgeon with no experience of administration or holding elected office, has seen his numbers rise in recent weeks, and a few days ago one poll in Iowa put him ahead of rival Donald Trump, the tycoon who until this point has been leading in the polls.

A series of surveys have shown that a clear majority of Americans believe there should be access to safe legal abortions, in most of all cases, even if they may not opt for such a procedure themselves. The figure is higher among women

A Pew survey this summer found 55 per cent of US adults say it should be legal in all or most cases, compared with 40 per cent who say it should be illegal.

Yet Mr Carson, who has been seeking to appeal to the socially conservative base of Republican voters as he makes his way around the country, said he would to see the historic 1973 Supreme Court ruling on Roe v Wade that safeguarded the right to legal abortions, overturned.

He said the only legitimate reason for an exception was if the woman’s health was endanger and “if people can come up with a reasonable explanation of why they would like to kill a baby.”