Graphic: Times poll on embryo research

A generational and class divide over the suitability of single women and lesbians as IVF mothers has been exposed by the Times/Populus poll.

Public opinion as a whole is opposed to the proposal to change the requirement that fertility clinics consider a child’s need for a father before treating patients to a “need for supportive parenting”.

Extensive support for the move among young people, however, suggests that attitudes towards IVF for lesbians and single women are changing.

The over-55s are strongly against the plans, with 50 per cent saying the law should not be changed and 19 per in favour. Among young people, however, the findings are reversed: 44 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds back the reform and 26 per cent oppose it.

The poll also found significant differences in opinion between social groups: though all classes came out against the measure, opposition was strongest among manual workers.

Conservative voters are also much more likely to reject the reform, by a net 28 points, while Liberal Democrats support it by a 14-point margin. Labour voters are split, with 32 per cent in favour and 36 per cent against.

Evan Harris, a Liberal Democrat MP, who has been a vocal critic of the father clause, said: “I am not surprised that many people — especially from the older generation — are opposed to lesbian parents, but unjustifiable discrimination against gay people and single women is wrong whether a majority of the public think so or not.”

The results for human-animal embryos show fewer variations among different social groups, with voters of every sex, class, age group and political affiliation approving the work by a margin of at least ten points. It revealed a substantial difference between genders, however. Men are strongly enthusiastic, with 58 per cent favouring the research and 26 per cent rejecting it, but the margin of support was much narrower among women, with 43 per cent in favour and 33 per cent against.

Approval is strongest among people from social class AB, 60 per cent of whom support human-animal embryos while 23 per cent oppose it.

The findings are broadly consistent with those of a poll for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority , conducted during its public consultation on hybrid embryos last year, which found 61 per cent of people supported their use in medical research.

Another poll for the Christian Institute, released last week, found 60 per cent of people were opposed to human-animal embryos, but those questioned were not told the purpose of the experiments.

Parliamentary critics of the hybrids proposals changed tack from claiming public support yesterday, and instead accused scientists, charities and pharmaceutical companies with vested interests of swaying public opinion.

Jim Dobbin, a Labour MP and chairman of the all-party parliamentary pro-life group, said: “The figure on human-animal embryos does not surprise me because it is a very complex Bill and the public don’t know the detail of it. They are only getting one side of the argument.”

Professor Stephen Minger, of King’s College London, who holds one of two existing licences to create human-animal embryos, said that the results showed that scientists’ efforts to explain their work were paying off. “It is very gratifying to see such a clear level of public support for our work,” he said.

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