If MPs are going to allow the religious handlers, of any denomination, rather than their political affiliation dictate how they vote in the commons they owe us a duty to make it very clear when they stand for election.

They are elected by the people to represent the best interests of all of their constituents, not only their church, temple or synagogue. It clearly states on the ballot paper whether they are labour, liberal, tory, green or otherwise. We as voters are entitled to assume they will vote in accordance with their party manifesto. If that comes second to a papal bull or a jihad we as the voters have a right to know. The candidate should be required to put that on the ballot paper and enable the voters to elect their MPs in accordance with their conscience.

Saint, Brighton,

If the Catholic MPs get a free vote and the bill is still passed, it will do as there seems a sizeable number of MPs in the three parties who will vote for the bill, the Cardinals will not lie down quietly. They would win the round one and the next thing they would try is to influence their flocks to go for the kind of Irish Republic situation. No one voted for Talibans in Afghanistan and no one here voted these Cardinals in place. For them science is a black art practised by infidels in China, India and Japan!!!

Peter, York,

MPs are elected for their predictive behaviour. Most religionists would prefer to elect someone closely allied to their own thinking. So what's so undemocratic to have religionists voting according to their well known principles and in a manner consistent with their informed consciences?

That's closer to my understandi ng of Democracy than being whipped at the behest of a control freaking PM whose deserved demise is imminent.

Maxadolf, Epsom, UK

Pope Pius XII had cell rejuvenation therapy.

This is what it says about this therapy:

“Cell Therapy starts with the selection of specific organ cells from a fetal animal bred specifically for this purpose.”

Talking about humans and animals!!

Rob, Brighton,

Can some sanctimonious religious expert quote page and paragraph of the bible that mentions embryo or cells? Maybe this was an oversight at the printers or simply a typo error.

sid, derby,

I'm fed up with the assumption that this is merely a dispute between the Catholic Church and the Labour Party. I'm not a Catholic. I'm CofE. But I too do not believe it is right to contaminate species in this way. Furthermore, I have absolutely no belief in the assurances of scientists that this is OK. They were wrong with BSE and they've failed completely with Foot and Mouth.

The accusation that ones opponents are obscurantist is usually in my experience an indicator that one cannot make a case rationally.

This would be an issue of conscience if I were an MP. Only a party leader who is extremely insecure pushes these sort of points. After all, if the government accepts a free vote, it doesn't lose credibility if it loses that vote.

Dru Brooke-Taylor, Bristol, UK

The cardinals don't want a free vote, they want to whip the catholic MPs to vote for catholic dogma. The MPs weren't voted it on a catholic ticket buta Labour one, only Brown has a right to demand their loyalty.

How would the cardinals feel if Gordon Browntold them which way to vote in a papal conclave?

Mark, Newcastle, England

All votes should be free. MPs should be talking to their constituents before voting. There is almost no correlation between manifestos and what parties do, so they have NO mandate to vote based on a party whip. Let's abolish the power of the whip and introduce democracy.

Jane Reynolds, Rutland,

If this goes to the free vote that the Catholics are asking for and the bill is still passed, will they shut up and accept it a democratic vote?
Doubt it.

Danny, Ashford, Kent

If we have crucial scientific research determined by religious lobbies then we in the west are basically back in the middle ages. The future of these crucial areas of research, and the industries they will create will belong to countries like of China, India, and Japan.

And I'll wager that most of those objecting now will allow any therapies for, e.g. alzheimers, that are developed to be applied to them or their relatives.

And given that no UK citizen gets to vote for the Pope or his clergy, then why do we have a sizeable section of the cabinet considering voting by towing the Vatican line?

Paul Newbold, sheffield, UK

Please, please, please let this be the begining of the end !!! I notice the knife is being plunged in by a Blairite !!!

Ian Payne, WALSALL,

It is a difficult and controversial medical ethics issue, for which difference of opinions is understandable. Brown's move is not wise as to manipulate the voting behaviours of the MPs of his camp. Politics is different from morality, and the steps taken would not be the same.

I suggest to have free vote but more lobbying beforehand to gather more support.

Albert Kwong, Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong SAR, China

Hark! Is that the sound of Tony Blair laughing his head off!

Stephen, St. Ives, England

In a supposedly democratic society, why do we even tolerate Whips? I didn't vote for a Whip.

Michael , MIlton Keynes, UK

A sad reflection on present parliamentary democracy, that Brown and team do not trust the Commons enough to allow a free vote to their own party members on a clearly "conscience" issue, which they will surely win anyway with cross-party support.
Meanwhile the Roman Catholic church, God bless it, remains so Reactionary and its adherents are bound to follow blindly - I wonder how many tens of thousands, sorry hundreds of thousands, sorry millions, have suffered and died in Africa of AIDS thanks to the Vatican refusal to acknowledge reality.

MikeM, St. Albans, England

The cardinals are on very dangerous ground instructing their co-religionist Cabinet ministers and MPs to vote against the Bill. It was was part of the election manifesto and if the Catholic Labour MPs had opposed the measure they should have made this clear at that time. By opposing the Bill now they are demonstrating that they must bow to clerical intervention on all issues. This is a serious challenge to the separation of Church and State and has dangerous ramifications for the future.

John

John Gold, Praia das Macas, Portugal

Iron fist! Don't make me laugh. More like the grasping claw. This man is incompetent.

Roger, Surrey,

What rubbish. PM Gordon Brown is all in favour of free votes...just as long as his MPs vote the way he says they should.

Adrian Gilbert, Tonbridge,

"Labour is alone in insisting on whipping its MPs"

...and wouldn't there be a long line of volunteers to give out a few lashes eh? Now this would be a Govt. initiative we would all get behind.

Ah, we can dream.

J Wilkes, Gloucester,

Human-animal hybrid embryos are the latest unreasonable demand by the greedy biotechnology lobby which always promises fabulous miracle cures in return for ethics being suspended. But while the miracle cures never materialise, the demands never cease and the claims become more and more outlandish. Enough is enough. Millions of pounds have been poured into the black hole of embryonic stem cell research without any discernable benefit bar the profit margins of a few companies.
This is falsely presented as science versus religion but since many distinguished scientists say this kind of research is unecessary we can tell that its actually about profits not science.
We can't go on being emotionally blackmailed by an industry which never delivers what it promises. We don't need human-animal hybids, they weren't mentioned in the Labour manifesto and the government should act for the common good not promote the interests of a select band of biotech millionaires

Justine, London, UK

Catholic (and Protestant, Jewish, Muslim) MPs are British citizens and have the right to speak out and vote their consciences. If their constituents don't approve of them, then vote them out next election--that's democracy. Who is playing the dicator here? Furthermore, the two great political movements of the 20th century that sought to eliminate God and religion from public discourse and make the State supreme (communism and fascism) ending up killing 40 million people in two decades--now there's rational progress for you.

John, Omaha, USA

who does Brown crack the whip for, the people? nope. the party? nope. or the EU? bingo!

are we learning boys and girls?

james brown, sandown, falklands

How about a free vote on the EU treaty. Thought not.

Cromwell, Leeds, England

I'm tired of being dictated to by Catholic religionists. If they wish their religion to dominate their voting, then let them form their own Vaticanist party

Merseymike, Liverpool,

Since when were mps elected for their choice of religion? Religious believes should have no place in politics and mps should vote for what they think is right and not be blinded by fear of religious leaders.

kenny livitt, hove,

How anyone that eats meat and sheds skin can vote against this life saving bill is beyond redemption.

Ramsay, London, UK

This Gordon Brown has no judgement whatsoever.

Neel, Oxford, UK