Possibly the Medical Research Council feels that shoe repairers may be better suited to explain the finer points of stem cell extraction to Parliamentarians than scientists in the field. It has certainly desired stem cell researchers not to go and make a nuisance of themselves at a lobby of Parliament in favour of stem cell research.

Indeed the MRC is worried that the presence of scientists outside Parliament could have a “negative impact” and might “actually be counter-productive to the research that (the MRC) would like to see progress”. One might think that biomedical researchers had a widespread reputation for drunkenly burning down legislatures, biting escaping MPs and hypothesizing in a most promiscuous fashion.

One can understand scientists’ wish to put their case, their integrity having been thoroughly blown on in the debates which have preceded this most recent stage of the Human Fertilization and Enbryology Bill. The creation of the hybrid embryos necessary to extract the stem cells is anomalous in that it had been deemed to need primary government legislation.

Some members of the House of Lords (with the trenchent and no doubt valuable support of demonstrators wearing cow and rabbit masks) tried to amend the Bill to ban the creation of hybrid embryos. They failed, so the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church then intervened, mounting pulpits to thunder that the proposals open the door to science of Frankenstein proportions. (Poor Mary, another of my time whose name and work is often taken in vain.)

Given that Cardinals used their pulpits to attack the work of scientists in a public and ill-informed manner, then demanded that their followers in Parliament vote according to dogma rather than the health interests of their constituents, the scientists are right to want to attend the lobby. Mr Goldacre, commentator on this blog asserts he will be there possibly wearing a dog’s head for ease of identification, although that may cause some people to think that Egyptian deities also hold strong opinions opinion on hybrid embryo research.

My own MP is a very amiable gentleman, easily possessed of enough brains to make a sparrow fly crooked, and some of the finer points and the potential of this advanced science may evade him. People talking to him about ‘Frankenstein science’ (there is a counterlobby planned for the same day) may have made an impression that requires an expert head to disabuse him. Who better to explain it to him than a scientist familiar with the work in detail?

Member of the House of Commons have received letters from members of the public opposing hybrid embryos, many of these people will have religious convictions and a religious hierarchy behind them.

It is only right that patients groups anxious for a cure for themselves or relatives, should be supported by the scientists whose patient work will lead to therapies and cures.

I have spoken to a refugee who worked for the pro-life lobby and has seen them at work in these situations. Far from suggesting that scientists are not fit to be let out in public, the MRC should be encouraging every embryologist and stem-cell researcher within reach to attend, indeed it should be paying for charabanc trips (including allowances for tea and sugar) from the Universities of Durham and Newcastle so that the northern bastion of British stem cell expertise can attend and stand with Dr Minger at the barricades of reason.

The f-word (Frankenstein) will be bandied around a great deal on Monday and pressure of the most egregious sort brought to bear by people who will be reminding MPs that they speak not just for themselves, but for whole majority-endangering congregations: experience and a knowledge of the science will at a premium.