Aggregated News

GORDON Brown, the Prime Minister, yesterday made a play for Catholic voters in the Glasgow East by-election by postponing a decision on new embryo laws.
In a surprise announcement, the government said that a crucial vote on the embryology bill due to take place on Monday would now be delayed until the autumn.

This will help keep the issue – and the threat of changes to the abortion laws – off the agenda before voters go to the polls on 24 July. It also allows the legions of Labour MPs ordered to campaign in Glasgow to avoid having to make a speedy return to London.

Glasgow East has the fifth- highest number of Catholics in Scotland, with more than a third of its voters – some 23,185 adults – declaring themselves Catholics in the last census. The constituency is also home to Celtic Football Club.

Labour is thought to have acted as MPs come under increased pressure from the Catholic church to vote against the bill. Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of the Catholic church in Scotland, has again urged...