All those in favour of embryo stem cell research say 'aye'

Last week's announcement that British MPs are to be offered a free vote on embryo stem cell research and therapeutic cloning was always going to provoke a strong public and media response. But the fact that the announcement was made during parliament's summer holiday and was not backed up by cabinet spokesmen, probably made for a rather short-lived one. Without government representatives and their opponents to fuel the media debate, therapeutic cloning came and went within a few days.

But while it was here, journalists, broadcasters and commentators got stuck in. Despite the coverage given to a number of anti-embryo research voices, the media response was largely positive. The Daily Telegraph was one of the few British newspapers whose leader writers came out against the Donaldson recommendations to allow embryo stem cell research. In stark contrast to Boris Johnson's column in the same newspaper, the Telegraph editorial's response to Donaldson, entitled 'Yuk', offered a defence of instinctive reactions against using human embryos in research.

But besides this rejection of embryo research, the Telegraph also told us that the embryo stem cell research being proposed is unnecessary because of the promise of using stem cells already present in the adult body. But Nigel Hawkes, writing in the Times, notices the flaw in this argument. Those who oppose the destruction of human embryos for any reason have little to offer in the scientific debate. For even if scientists could offer a cure for cancer tomorrow by means of this research, such opponents would be unmoved.

Meanwhile, Leah Wild, an IVF patient writing a regular column in the Guardian, thinks that one voice has been left out of the discussion around stem cell research: that of the people like her donating embryos for research: 'There is little that is positive about being infertile, but the possibility that the embryonic by-products might help to cure a disease is a compensation.'

A few commentators, such as Anne McElvoy in the Independent and Theodore Dalrymple in the Telegraph, are ambivalent about the proposed embryo stem cell research. But, over all, the response to the announcement was a resounding 'Yes please'.

After the weekend's offerings from columnists, therapeutic cloning has left the building. But it'll be back. In the autumn, MPs and members of the House of Lords will get to voice their opinions on the issue. Here's hoping that their reaction will be as positive as was that of the British media this week.

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