John Smeaton's blog features a correspondence between a pro-life campaigner and Claire Curtis-Thomas MP, a Catholic and co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group. In it, Curtis-Thomas reveals herself to be patronising - claiming that her constituent has 'missed the point' when she clearly knew what she was talking about - and anti-life in her claims that many clauses within the embryology bill are 'very necessary and welcome'. She cites no examples, probably because their simply are none. The bill is unethical to the core, a fact that should not have needed explaining to a supposedly pro-life MP.
But the problem is that Claire Curtis-Thomas is not genuinely pro-life and her position within the APPPLG is rapidly becoming a national embarrassment for the pro-life movement. No pro-life group can retain any credibility whatsoever when one of its senior members has stated publicly: "I am not opposed to abortion. I believe that women should have the right to choose. I just hope they don't choose to have an abortion."
Since Claire Curtis-Thomas feels unable to do the courageous thing and stand up for life, APPPLG need to act. They need to expel the anti-life MPs from within their own ranks before they can expect to have any positive impact on the rest of Parliament.
