GLASGOW - 3 March 2008 - 400 words
Scottish
bishop urges free vote on Embryology Bill
The Bishop of Paisley, Bishop
Philip Tartaglia has this week written to Prime Minister Gordon
Brown urging him to allow Labour MP's a free vote on the forthcoming
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill in the House of Commons.
In his letter Bishop Tartaglia says the Bill raises "deeply ethical and moral questions, (which) cannot be properly addressed by means of the party line" and he suggests that it would be a distortion of democracy if MP's were not able to vote according to their consciences.
The full text of the letter follows.
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing to you to ask you to allow a free vote among Labour
Party Members of Parliament following the forthcoming debate on
the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill in the House of Commons.
This Bill aims to introduce measures which bear directly on the
nature and dignity of the human life. These measures raise deeply
ethical and moral questions, and cannot be properly addressed
by means of the party line.
Democracy itself is surely distorted if MPs are forced to vote
against their consciences.
So for the sake of the dignity of human life and for the sake
of the moral integrity of our democracy, I ask you to allow a
free vote among Labour Party Members of Parliament. I hope you
will make a decision on this matter soon.
Yours sincerely,
+Philip Tartaglia
Bishop of Paisley
The Diocese of Paisley has posted a number of resources on its
website to assist individuals wishing to campaign against the
Bill, including a link to an online petition: http://www.paisleydiocese.org.uk/
Online petition: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/HybridEmbryos/
© Independent Catholic News 2008
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