Parliament debated the hybrid embryo clause of the human fertility bill yesterday and despite the irrational and superstitious fears of boy scientists cult leader Ben Goldacre* that our elected representative “do not understand science” and therefore were not qualified to debate the bill, the clause was passed into law. All Goldacre proved is that he understands neither science not democracy. But enough of him, on to the debate.

One of the main speakers for the Conservatives was Edward Leigh who thinks it is unethical to create human embryos for research. He accused supporters of the clause of trying to blind people with science. Nobody was sharp enough to accuse Mr. Leigh of trying to blind the House with nonscience. When somebody interrupted his speech to say no-one was proposing to create viable monsters from hybrid embryos Mr. Leigh replied that red herrings were being brought up.

Was he suggesting that mothers were carrying half human, half fish embryos to full term and giving birth to them? We all remember Billy the Fish in Viz, but surely he was fiction... Wasn’t he? When you think about it though there are still a few guys around with mullets. Could it be when the scientists say hybrid embryos would not be capable of maturing they are not telling us everything.

Mr Leigh however is not holding anything back. In one bound he leapt from Billy the Fish to chimpanzees, Russian Scientists and football fans.

“Some years ago,” he told the house, “Soviet scientists created a humanzee but it did not survive.”

Boggart Blog want to assure you this is not just a scare story but it shows how far Russia is behind the west in this field. If you really are interested in seeing human / chimp hybrids all you have to do is go to any West Ham United home game.

* There was really no need to mention Ben Goldacre by name here, but we’ve noticed the sad act Googles his own name about six times a day and so turns up in any comment thread (using a false name – he forgets I’m a web expert) where I have made fun of him. Just jerking his lead to bring him to heel :-)