AS SHOPPERS in Livingston scurried towards their cars to escape the cold, you would expect the future of embryo research to be far from their minds.
But people leaving the Almondvale centre in the West Lothian town were yesterday only too willing to share their views on a subject that has dominated the headlines this week.
Most appeared to agree with their local Labour MP, Jim Devine, who earl
ier in the day accused Cardinal Keith O'Brien of a "lack of insight" after his outspoken attack on the government's plans to create hybrid embryos to further research into diseases like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Mr Devine, a Roman Catholic, said he will vote for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill – against the beliefs and wishes of Cardinal O'Brien, Scotland's most senior Catholic.
In his Easter Sunday sermon, the cardinal attacked what he called "Frankenstein" experiments and branded the proposals a "monstrous attack on human rights, human dignity and human life".
Mr Devine will not be taking up the cardinal's call to oppose a bill the churchman called "not just evil, but crazy".
And yesterday, Mr Devine suggested most constituents – many of whom have seen the devastating impact of diseases like Alzheimer's – also side with the scientists.
"I'm a bit concerned at the language in particular Cardinal Keith O'Brien has been using when he talks about Frankenstein monsters. That does suggest to me a lack of insight and understanding into what this process is all about," he said.
Asked whether he agreed with the Labour peer and celebrity scientist Professor Lord Robert Winston that the Catholic Church was guilty of "overblown" speeches on the subject, he said: "I think it is. I have just checked my e-mail and I have had three e-mails – one is asking me to oppose the bill and two others to support the bill.
"In former mining communities, there is a disproportionately high number of young men with multiple sclerosis. People on a daily basis see these individuals going about the communities and the disabling impact that the illness is having not just on them but on their families and their communities."
He said he was prepared to disobey his Church, concluding: "At the end of the day, I make up my mind. I'm very clear the government is correct and proper in the direction with this bill. At the end of the day, individuals have the right to re-elect me or not."
He also invoked the memory of the Celtic legend Jimmy Johnstone, who died two years ago after developing motor neurone disease, despite trying to find a cure in America.
In doing so, Mr Devine triggered more wrath from the Catholic Church, which branded his comments "disingenuous" and "unnecessary".
Keith Forsyth, 44, is one of those constituents who has been directly affected by degenerative disease, his grandmother having had Alzheimer's. Mr Forsyth, who is a member of the Church of Scotland, supports the research under strict conditions.
"As long as it's only used in medical research, I would go along with it. To an extent, I agree with the cardinal, as there is a danger this could be the thin edge of the wedge. But I am behind it if it can lead to a cure for Alzheimer's"
Jennifer Bain, 24, added: "If it's going to help people find a cure then I don't see anything wrong with it."
Janice McFarlane, 56, said she was unsure about the research. "I suppose I have fairly mixed views on the subject.
"I would like to see progress on research, but I'm rather uncomfortable with the idea of mixing human and animal. The danger is we don't know where it's going."
A spokesman for the Catholic Church last night rounded on Mr Devine. "It's a bit over-emotional of Jim Devine to keep talking up the medical prospects in front of people who suffer these diseases," he said.
"And it's certainly unnecessary to consistently refer to the late Jimmy Johnstone, suggesting the actions of the Church have hindered cures."
WHAT THE BILL SEEKS TO DO – AND WHYTHE government plans to expand the scope of embryo research by updating the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.
The new legislation would allow scientists to create human-animal embryos for research. Scientists say the work is needed to advance the understanding of complex diseases, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and motor neurone disease.
If the legislation is approved, scientists will be able to combine animal eggs with human nuclei, which can be grown into stem cells. These stem cells can then be harvested and used for research that could result in new therapies.
The bill was introduced because of a shortage of donated human eggs.
Experts say that using human-animal mixes rather than human eggs to get the stem cells makes sense, because the process is less cumbersome and yields better results.
But opponents say this is tampering with nature and is unethical.
The full article contains 833 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
