A Catholic Labour MP has accused the leader of Scotland's Catholic Church of showing a ‘lack of understanding’ over controversial embryo research.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien yesterday launched a fierce attack on Prime Minister Gordon Brown over what he described as ‘monstrous’ plans to allow scientists to create human-animal embryos for research.
The leading churchman is planning to use his Easter Sunday sermon at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh to claim proposals in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill could lead to experiments of ‘Frankenstein proportion’.
The controversial Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill proposes to legislate for the creation of embryos from a combination of human and animal genetic material.
Cardinal O’Brien will also call on Mr Brown to allow Labour MPs a free vote - as the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party have all done.
Some Catholic Cabinet members are reported to be deeply unhappy with the Bill.
But today Labour MP Jim Devine urged them to discuss the issue with scientists involved in stem cell research.
Mr Devine, the MP for Livingston, has also written to the Cardinal, calling on him to meet the scientists involved.
Mr Devine, who supports the Bill, said: ‘The statements attributed to the Cardinal over the past few days highlight a lack of understanding of the process of stem cell biology.’
Supporters of the Bill argue that the use of hybrid embryos could lead to cures for diseases including multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.
