Letter piles pressure on Brown to grant free vote

Academics add their voices to calls for a conscience vote on embryology Bill, reports Anna Arco
GORDON BROWN was under mounting pressure this week to give Labour MPs a free vote on the controversial Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.
Calls for a vote of conscience for Labour MPs reached a new pitch last week when more than 100 prominent academics wrote an open letter to the Times in which they said that votes on amendments to the HFE Bill "should not be whipped".
The Government-sponsored Bill, which raises important bio-ethical questions, was whipped through the Lords and is due for a second reading in the Commons in April, though no date has been set because of the growing controversy over the three-line whip.
Unlikely alliances have been formed to condemn the Government's stance and to support a vote of conscience for Labour MPs. It has brought together scientists. philosophers and theologians, and includes people who believe in the contents of the HFE Bill and others who do not.
The Marxist-libertarian sociologist Frank Furedi, a member of the British Humanist Association who is married to the head of the British Pregnancy Advisory Servide Ann Furedi, Britain's biggest abortion provider, is among the signatories.
The list also includes two members of the Human Genetics Commission, which advises the Government, as well Professor Eamon Duffy. a Catholic, who teaches at Cambridge.
While the signatories of the letter say they "do not hold a single common view on the substantive proposals in the present Bill", they feel that "Government and other political parties should not erode the precedent of a 'conscience vote' on controversial bioethical legislation".
The Government's imposition of a three-line whip on Labour MPs, forcing them to vote for the Bill or risk damaging their career, has caused consternation, especially among Catholic MPs who say they cannot vote for the Bill in good conscience. The Bill raises a number of difficult moral questions, including provisions for hybrid human and animal embryos and the removal of the obligation of IVF doctors to have regard for a child's need for a father.
At the moment, Labour MPs have a free vote on any tabled amendments on abortion which do not feature in the Bill, but must vote with the Government on all contents of the Bill.
Geoff Hoon, the Chief Whip, is reported to be willing to allow Catholic MPs to abstain from voting as long as they first write to him explaining the
reasons for their decision. Both he and the Prime Minister have been approached by Catholic Cabinet Ministers and MPs who fear they will be expelled from the Government if they follow their consciences and vote against the Bill.
Labour MPs have indicated that Mr Hoon's apparent concession was not enough and that they should be allowed to have a vote of conscience.
Jim Dobbin, who leads the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, has received permission to meet with the Prime Minister in the hope of persuad
ing him to remove the three-line whip, but has yet to be given a date for the meeting to take place.
"The pressure is piling up," he said. "The Chief Whip has suggested we abstain from the vote but we want a vote of conscience.
Mr Dobbin said he would bring a delegation of Labour MPs who were "not the usual suspects". They are likely to be MPs with large Catholic constituencies who may be worried about losing their seats at the next General Election.
Mr Dobbin remained hopeful about the chances of securing a free vote.
It is rumoured that pressure for a vote of conscience is also growing in the Cabinet.
Three Cabinet Ministers are prominent practising Catholics who are said to be unhappy about the current situation: Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, who is a member of Opus Dei, Defence Secretary Des Browne and Wales Secretary Paul Murphy.
Pressure is also coming from the public . Over 8,000 people have signed an e-petition on the Downing Street website which calls for a vote of conscience. The petition closes on May 13.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor spoke out against the HFE Bill in a pastoral letter last month.
He said that MPs should ask for a vote of conscience and called for people to write to their MPs about the "profound questions of human life and dignity" that were raised by the Bill.
Addressing the Catholic laity of England and Wales in his capacity as president of the bishops' conference, he said: "Now is the time for our voices to be heard. This needs as many people as possible to write to — and better still — to go and see their MP and to register their deep concern about this Bill.
"Please urge your MP to support amendments to the Bill which would limit embryo research, recognise the need for children to have knowledge of their biological father, and which would reduce rather than increase the numbers of abortions.
"MPs should also request and be granted a free vote on those parts of this Bill which deal with fundamental issues of personal conscience."
Bishop Philip Tartaglia of Paisley made a similar appeal on behalf of the bishops of Scotland last week.
He said that democracy would be distorted if MPs were forced to vote against their consciences.