Glasgow East By-election: O'Brien attacks 'monstrous' embryo bill

Published on Saturday 19 July 2008 19:36

CARDINAL Keith O'Brien has relaunched an attack on Labour's controversial Embryology Bill just days before thousands of Catholics vote in the crucial Glasgow East by-election, describing the plans as a "monstrous attack on human rights".

The leader of Scotland's Catholics said he was calling on MPs to "search their hearts and consciences" over the bill, which will allow scientists to create 'hybrid embryos', made up of both human and animal tissue.

O'Brien said he welcomed the decision to delay the vote, which had been due to take place last week. The delay sparked speculation that Prime Minister Gordon Brown was running scared ahead of the by-election.

His comments, reported in this weekend's Scottish Catholic Observer, will be read by many members of the faith who go to church today.

Around a third of the constituents in the Glasgow East constituency are Catholics.

O'Brien says: "This delay now gives our MPs time and I urge them all to use that time wisely to reflect on the consequences of their actions and their decisions.

"We are facing a crisis in society and we must ask ourselves is human life important to us or is it not?"

He adds: "I have already written to all our MPs about this bill, particularly regarding the use of their consciences, and now again I call on them to consider the great importance of their decisions."

On the content of the Bill, the Cardinal declares: "This Bill is a monstrous attack on human rights, human dignity and human life."

He specifically addressed the fact that the Bill is also likely to include possible reforms to the 1967 Abortion Act.

Pro-abortion MPs are expected to table amendments liberalising the Act so that, for example, only one doctor is required to give the go-ahead for a termination, rather than two as at present.

He said: "By the time I retire in five years time, approximately another million babies could have been killed in the womb in our country. Another million so cruelly put to death in their mother's womb."

He concludes: "MPs must search their hearts and their consciences in this extra time in which they have been given to decide whether or not the value of human life really matters or whether or not it is simply one more commodity to be cast aside in our throw-away society."

O'Brien's comments come after Joseph Devine, the Bishop of Motherwell, also hit out at Labour over the Embryology bill.

Claims that the Embryology bill was delayed because of the by-election were backed up by pro-life Labour MP Jim Dobbin.

He said: "The likely reason is the enormous public uproar the Bill, with its hugely controversial proposals, has had – particularly in areas such as Glasgow East."

The former Labour MP from the area, David Marshall, told colleagues his mailbag was full to overflowing with letters from constituents attacking the measures in the Bill.

Catholic composer James MacMillan has also hit out at Labour over its failure to respect Catholic values.

Influential Catholic academic Professor Pat Reilly said that the Catholic-Labour link has now been broken.

"Catholics are abandoning Labour now only because Labour first abandoned them," he said.