This was the final vote in a series of strongly contested conscience votes in Parliament which saw controversial decisions made to allow experimentation on human-animal hybrid embryos, to allow the creation of children to act as ‘saviours’ for siblings, and to remove the right of children created by IVF procedures to have a father.
The entire debate has been dominated by controversy focusing on clashes of rights and hugely emotive and complex ethical issues.
R David Muir, Public Policy Executive Director, said: “Just because science can do something doesn’t mean that it should, and when rights begin to be more associated with adult preferences than protection of the weak and vulnerable, then we should be concerned about the consequences for society.
“The drive for human improvement must not be allowed to trump the need to protect against harm and it is worrying to note the prevalence today of uncertainty and inconsistency relating to where ethical boundaries should be drawn, or indeed whether there should be any ethical boundaries at all.
"There is a growing disparity between what scientists and politicians are promoting and the opinion of the general public, who are increasingly uncomfortable with a utilitarian approach to human life.”
Peter Saunders, General Secretary Christian Medical Fellowship, said “We are disappointed by this result but not surprised given the lead given by the Prime Minister and his Health Ministers. Two out of three people, including three out of four women, and two out of three doctors have signalled their support for a lowering of the 24 week upper limit. By ignoring this change in public mood Parliament has demonstrated that it is seriously out of touch with the opinion of the British people on this issue.”
Dan Boucher, Director of Parliamentary Affairs for CARE said: “May 20th 2008 was a very bad day in the history of our nation. I hope that it will serve to provoke Christians to engage in the public square with greater energy and wisdom and that God will turn the tide.”
On a day dominated in the media by ultrasound pictures of unborn children, all those who fought so long and hard to protect human life were united, they said, in affirming that the new campaign to make abortion rarer and to guard the status of human life starts now.
