Gordon Brown vs. the Catholic Church, a fight I want both sides to lose.

The news tonight (Sunday: BBC and the Times) is that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has caved in to pressure orchestrated by the Catholic hierarchy in Britain to allow Catholic Labour MPs and government cabinet ministers to abstain from voting in favour of a government bill.

Monday morn, oh no he hasn’t, says the Daily Telegraph (bet there’s been some briefing going on):

But Mr Brown is refusing to let the MPs and ministers vote against the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, which he believes will lead to major advances in medicine and the treatment of fatal diseases.

According to the Times:

Mr Brown is privately encouraging scientists to challenge the Catholic Church’s interpretation, and Downing Street insiders say the debate has only just begun. “So far we’ve only heard from one side,” one said.

So not coming out, giving clear leadership on the issue and telling your rebellious ministers to get into line, instead pushing scientists toweards the sound of gunfire, Gordon. Brave.

And some Catholic Labour MPs and peers with a clear view of the distinction private faith and public service have been telling the Catholic hierarchy to back off.

This debacle is unfolding as I predicted in Scottish cardinal uses the F-word:

If Roman Catholic (government) ministers wish to defy the government, fine. But they should resign and do so from the back benches, where their pay would be halved. God or mammon, the crucifix or the greasy pole. I bet they’ll find a way to have all four: threaten Gordon Brown (who’s trailing badly in the polls and is in a weak position) with a damaging handful of resignations. He will dither for a while, roll and show belly and let them away with not supporting a big government bill.

He has dithered, he has rolled and showed belly (well at 8pm lastnight he had) and has rolled back, he has verged on letting them away with defying his authority and representing not their constituents, but instead trying to impose the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church on the British people, their scientists and doctors.

Any Cabinet Ministers who vote against the Government without having the spine to resign, take the cash hit and do so from the back benches are the worst kind of hypocritical moneygrubbing - Gaia forgive me I was going to say leeches or tapeworms, but a leech has gotta do what leech has gotta do and tapeworms are marvels of evolution and anyone who says otherwise should meet me outside The Runswick Bay Hotel after the quiz next Thursday night and I’ll kick their pans in - gobshites.

Here is Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor:

“Certainly, there are some aspects of this bill on which I believe there ought to be a free vote, because Catholics and others will want to vote according to their conscience,” he told Sky News in an interview broadcast on Sunday.

“I don’t think it should be subject to the party whip.”

But it should be subject to a Vatican whip? Because that is what the Cardinal is calling for - a Catholic’s conscience is strictly what Church teaching tells him or her it should be. Shame on Gordon Brown. A tapeworm has more spine.

This is a battle battle secular Britain should not lose.