Consequences.

In the UK, a cross-party attempt to ban hybrid human animal embryos was defeated on a free vote, by 336 to 176 in the house of Commons on Monday. I know there is a moral issue with some of the more religious MP’s, but the only moral here for me is that the research could potentially lead to cures for a number of diseases.

But onto the next point. The vote on the abortion limit being cut down was defeated. The trouble with reducing the limit for example is that the vote could have suceeded for reducing the limit to twenty two weeks, then a few years later a vote could be for reducing it more and so on until one day an outright ban would be up for voting on. Of course this is what “pro-life” campaigners want, the give them an inch scenario…

My sympathies lie with the rights of Women. I must point out that I am not Pro or Anti-abortion, but I would say that it is the right of the Woman to make that kind of choice and it is no one else’s.

The MP that has been most vocal on the abortion issue is Nadine Dorries and her 20 weeks campaign. What has been noticed most of all regarding her campaign is firstly the flimsy science she has used to promote the agenda and secondly the people behind the agenda she is promoting, a group called Christian Concern For Our Nation. CCFON are what is best described as Christian Fundamentalists and groups like them have been working their way into the Conservative party and reaching the upper echelons of the party.

So was the 20 weeks campaign really about abortion, or does it show a glimpse of wider implications?

We may think that the UK is a liberal, secular country, but the fundamentalists aim to embed themselves into the political establishment and over the longer term, push through piecemeal changes to roll back equal rights for gays and women. I would say that the fundamentalists may not have that kind of influence over a possible incoming Tory Government, but what has happened with the 20 weeks campaign could be seen as the shape of things to come.

With the very real possibility of the Conservative party winning the next election, the next round of rights reduction could be around the corner, so when you mark X on the voting slip will you only be thinking of Health, education and crime or will you notice what else the cat may drag in?