Embryo bill: government confident

The government is confident it can push through controversial legislation allowing research into hybrid human-animal embryos.

Labour MPs may not have to vote against their conscience over the government’s controversial bill on embryo research, according to the health secretary Alan Johnson. He said he was confident and accommodation could be reached with Catholic MPs. Although he was convinced the Commons would still pass the bill. There has been mounting pressure for Labour MPs to be granted a free vote on the legislation, which would allow the creation of hybrid human-animal embryos, Keme Nzerem reports.

Talking down the reported Cabinet rift over human animal embryos, the government today said it wouldn’t make MPs opposed to the Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill supports it. This compromise probably means allowing abstentions rather than a free vote, but this being Easter Sunday another leading Catholic added his voice to the clamour.

“Well, there are some aspects of this bill, in which I believe there ought to be, a free vote, and because Catholics and others will want to vote according to their conscience, so I don't think it should be subject to the party whip.

The Health Secretary was today summarily dispatched to set the record straight. “The real issue”, he says “is not religious morality, or even party leadership, but about keeping Britain at the forefront of finding cures for diseases like Parkinson's and diabetes.

So the bottomline is if only these people understood the science behind this and there would be no wrong.

“Oh I don’t think there is any doubt. But if people understand the complex issues here, they’ll support the bill. We’ve been 3 years discussing this. We had a public consultation, pre-legislative scrutiny, a joint committee of both Houses. There’s never been a bill that’s been scrutinized so much and I don’t think there’s any doubt that this would have enjoyed the majority’s support. The issue for those people who do have very deep conscience, or issues of conscience whether because they are faithful or because of other ethical or moral reasons, we have to respect and we will respect them.”

“Fundamentally, this is a question of whether you think that a microscopic early human-embryo has the same rights as a grown human being with a serious disease.”

And the number of Labour MPs who are prepared to defy their whips and vote no is ought to be only in the teens. It’s hardly enough to assail the government’s working majority of 67.

Now even if the goverments allow the free vote, it’s unlikely that more than 40 or 50 Labour MPs would rebel. And when you take into account Liberal Demo and Tory supports of over around 100, then you'll look at the Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill passing easily. A hundred and fifty votes or so. So why you may well ask, all the fuss? Well, one Labour Cabinet member told me today, it’s all about control, adding---it’s a very necessary part-off control.

Why? Because creating guidelines for these controversial human-animal embryos,this meant to be flagship legislation in this parliament. But the goverment is worried, finding that control of both the debate...

Abstention is a formal act of not voting either for or against a proposal.

A whip is a notice which tells the members of a political party in parliament that it is important for them to vote in a particular way on an important issue

In Britain, a Tory politician or voter is a member of or votes for the Conservative Party.