Gordon Brown relies on Tories for embryo Bill

By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent

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Gordon Brown faces the embarrassing prospect of relying on the Conservatives to get the flagship embryo research Bill passed and to pacify Catholic Labour MPs. Mobile phone police in every neighbourhood, vows Gordon Brown Have your say: Should we allow the creation of hybrid embryos?   Gordon Brown regards the embryo research Bill as a vital reform of scientific regulations The Prime Minister is under growing pressure to give a free vote on the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Bill, which includes plans to allow the creation of hybrid animal and human embryos for medical research. With three Cabinet ministers and as many as 12 junior members of the Government believed to be threatening to rebel and vote with their consciences, the Prime Minister has been assured by Conservative and Liberal Democrat supporters of the Bill that they will back the Government proposals. Opposition MPs have been granted a free vote on the most controversial measures in the Bill, and are confident they number enough to cancel out a potential Labour rebellion. This would ensure the passage of what Mr Brown regards as a vital reform of scientific regulations. However, relying on Conservative votes in the face of threats of a mutiny from his own party would be a severe embarrassment. advertisement Mr Brown is said to be willing to allow a free vote to Catholic MPs who object to the Bill only if it would not topple the clauses on embryo research, which includes the creation of hybrid human-animal "admixed embryos". He believes the measure is necessary to ensure medical advances that would transform the lives of people suffering from devastating conditions ranging from Parkinson's to Motor Neurone Disease. Labour's chief whip, Geoff Hoon, is said to be nervous about the offer, fearing only 20 per cent of Tories, about 40 MPs, would be willing to back the measure. But the Bill's Tory supporters say if the amendment on embryo research contains sufficient conditions, such as time-limited licences for individual research, more could be persuaded to follow suit. One Conservative supporter of the Bill, Robert Key, criticised Mr Brown's handling of his own party, saying he had allowed the scientific debate to become clouded. He also condemned the Roman Catholic Church, after several senior figures called on MPs to reject the "Frankenstein science" they believe the Bill will permit. The Labour peer Lord Winston, a leading fertility expert, also accused the Church of "scaremongering". Mr Key, a member of the General Synod of the Anglican Church, said he sympathised with MPs who had religious objections to the Bill but urged Tories who did not have issues of conscience to support it. "As usual Parliament is years behind science," he said. "While I'm not saying embryo research is acceptable in all circumstances, as long as we have appropriate conditions then it could be important for helping some very sick people. "It is quite likely that there will be sufficient support from Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs to pass the Bill, including proposals for the creation of 'admixed embryos', even if Labour MPs are granted a free vote. "But Gordon Brown has made such a hash of this that the fear is many of my colleagues will see this as an opportunity, given the Parliamentary arithmetic, to catch the Prime Minister out. The Roman Catholic hierarchy has not done itself any favours. It is extraordinary folly to have raised the temperature in the way they have." The Tory leader, David Cameron, again urged Mr Brown to allow MPs a free vote. He said: "What he should say is: 'This is an important Bill. It does raise issues of conscience, so there should be free votes throughout the Bill's passage.'?"

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Related articles Comment: Gordon Brown on why we all must stand up for the Union 24 March 2008: Embryo Bill sparks Labour row with church 23 March 2008: Gordon Brown seeks embryo bill compromise

Sabranan, I hope you are not serious.

When all the people who disagree with a viewpoint are removed you are left with a totalitarian regime.

One person's definition of progress is not another's. Who has the right to decide which one stands?

To work effectively, democracy requires consensus after debate. Debate can only take place where there are disagreements that have been freely voiced. Freedom of thought, expression and debate cannot take place if one group is deemed not worthy of participation.

In a democracy, I believe you have a right to the view that Christians are stupid, and you have the right to tell them so. However, you do not have the right to refuse them the liberty you enjoy.
Posted by Philip Somers on March 25, 2008 5:25 PM
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Barbara Holloway asks how it can be wrong to seek an end to suffering.

The important point here is the question of conscience. Is the proposed course of action (not the expected outcome) acceptable? It is a dangerous place where the end always justifies the means (think of the experiments the Nazis performed on their prisoners to further knowledge of human biology). The final test for anyone must always be "Can my conscience accept this next action?"

The focus on the RC church is a distraction to this central point - people must think through their beliefs and stand by them (MPs included) otherwise democracy cannot work. If leaders (secular as well as religious) had done so in times past then many of the crimes you refer to would not have happened.
Posted by Philip on March 25, 2008 5:17 PM
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What exactly would you call 'hybrid human-animal "admixed embryos"' if not monstrous?
Posted by aelfheld on March 25, 2008 5:08 PM
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"It is extraordinary folly to have raised the temperature in the way they [the Catholic hierarchy] have".
- Robert Key, Conservative MP and a member of the General Synod of the Church of England.

Just what the Sanhedrin and the Romans said about Jesus and his apostles. The Anglicans want a Christian Church that will rubber-stamp every so-called progressive piece of legislation that drools from our NuLabor government. In the final analysis, we are talking about the destruction of human beings in the cause of medical research. Britain fought the bloodiest of all wars to get rid of a regime which did precisely that. Our soldiers died in vain.
Posted by Geoffrey Smith on March 25, 2008 4:01 PM
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Beware of certain politicians: I and II World Wars.
Beware of certain scientists: thalidomide, nuclear bomb.
Posted by The Armadita on March 25, 2008 3:52 PM
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Many countries have banned the creation of hybrid human/animal embryos and many scientists question its necessity or usefulness. There are alternatives available. This debate is being couched in sensationalist terms from the 'its completely immoral and wrong' to the 'we must find cures for these horrible diseases' !! What is at issue is the creation of stem-cells for research into various diseases in the hope of finding cures. The debate should not be about whether stem-cell research is 'good' or 'bad', but whether it is necessary to get stem cells for the research from hybrid embryos or whether hybrid embryos are the only way to harvest stem-cells? As usual, the issues involved are much more complicated than the reporting of them.
Posted by john smith on March 25, 2008 3:27 PM
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I am sitting here typing this because of a successful stem cell transplant. Otherwise I would probably be dead, my wife a widow and my children fatherless. You bet I am in favour of medical research, but that having been said I do hold to the view that human life is special and that even embryos should be treated within a legal and ethical framework. The current bill does seem sensible in that regard, but on issues such as this a free vote among MPs would allow them to represent the diversity of views among our people. By trying to whip this vote the government is showing heavy-handed stupidity and they deserve the political train-wreck that will follow if they do not back down.
Posted by Steve Horgan on March 25, 2008 1:27 PM
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Proponents of the HFE bill have never made a clear distinction between the success of adult stem cell research and that of embryo stem cells. This country does not report international views on the morality of creating human life purely for "harvesting" cells and the destruction of the new human embryo. Germany has called such proposals "cannibalism".
Posted by gregory cook on March 25, 2008 1:13 PM
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I fail to see why the Tories should help to ease the Labour Party who have only themselves to blame for this mess.
Now is the time to push Labour further into the corner and to win some concessions to common sense!!
Posted by anguished_evanton on March 25, 2008 11:55 AM
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The RC's have misrepresented their case against the scientists and the medics who seek to cure dreadful medical conditions by their research, not to create some kinds of new species of monsters.
How can it be wrong to seek an end to terrible suffering?

The Roman Catholic Church and their representatives should be careful of taking the moral high ground when their past history of dealing with their own crimes against humanity has fallen well short of the morality they
pretend to own.
morality they seek to claim for them

Posted by Barbara Holloway on March 25, 2008 10:14 AM
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Imagine if Gordon Brown doesn't allow a free vote, and all the Christian (and possibly members of other religions) resign.

Wouldn't that be great, especially if the bill get's passed anyway? The stupid Christians will be gone from labour (at least, the ones who faith is strong enough to oppose progress).

If this is Gordon Brown's intention, he's a genius.
Posted by Sabranan on March 25, 2008 8:27 AM
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