Blair to promote Britain as ESCR world capital

An article in today's Scotsman reports is headed Britain 'in strong position' to lead stem-cell work. Quote:
BRITAIN is in an "enormously strong" position to become the world leader in stem-cell research, the government's chief scientific adviser said yesterday.

Sir David King said there were economic and health benefits to making the UK the global hub of the controversial biomolecular research.
Tony Blair is on a four-day visit this week to California to meet US biotechnology firms including Genentech, Gilead Sciences and Cell Genesys. They are then hoping to have a joint UK-California conference in the UK in November. The BBC in Blair to lure US stem cell firms mentions the bottom line:
The UK may benefit from an influx of cash as US stem-cell firms face vocal and politically powerful opposition.
President Bush recently vetoed legislation on embryonic stem cell research. He gave an announcement surrounded by babies who were adopted while they were embryos.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

In his statement, Bush said,
[...] we must also remember that embryonic stem cells come from human embryos that are destroyed for their cells. Each of these human embryos is a unique human life with inherent dignity and matchless value. We see that value in the children who are with us today. Each of these children began his or her life as a frozen embryo that was created for in vitro fertilization, but remained unused after the fertility treatments were complete. Each of these children was adopted while still an embryo, and has been blessed with the chance to grow up in a loving family.

These boys and girls are not spare parts. They remind us that we all begin our lives as a small collection of cells. And they remind us that in our zeal for new treatments and cures, America must never abandon our fundamental morals.
This side of the pond, however, we are happy to abandon any fundamental morals we had left. Doesn't that just make you so proud to be British! We're going to sponge off the Americans so that we can be the world capital of embryo destruction. All together now: Land of hope and glory ...

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