Author: Agencies Date: 23 Mar 2008
London: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is facing a rebellion within his cabinet over the government's embryo research bill, which would allow the creation of part-human, part-animal embryos for research.
According to sources, 12 government ministers were poised to quit office over the issue and the Prime Minister is being told by his own supporters that he must offer MPs a free vote.
But Brown is reluctant to allow the whole bill to be a free vote because he considers it to be a key government legislation, extremely important to the UK's position at the cutting edge of stem-cell research.
A U-turn by Brown would represent the biggest humiliation to his leadership since he came to power as Labour leader and PM in June last year.
The row exploded last week after Cardinal Keith O'Brien, leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics, described the move as a "monstrous Frankenstein" plan.
According to a report in 'The Scotland', Brown is being told by his own supporters that he must offer MPs a free vote to avoid a ministerial clear-out, which could include Catholic ministers such as Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, Scottish Secretary Des Browne and Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy.
Brown's only public concession so far is to allow ministers to abstain, but it is believed this has failed to reassure some who want to be free to vote against the bill.
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