Fewer than one in five back Government 3-parent baby plan, poll finds

Fewer than one in five people back the Government's plan to introduce a new IVF technique that will result in the creation of children with three parents, a major new poll has found.

The ComRes poll, commissioned by CARE, found that support for a change in the law had declined dramatically in just six months.

In February, a similar poll found just over a third (35 per cent) backed the change with the same number (34 per cent) opposing the proposals. Six months later, support for the allowing the controversial practice had tumbled to just 18 per cent with opposition rising to nearly half (46 per cent). It found that support had declined across all sections of society, in every region and among all ages.

Support among Conservative voters declined steeply from four in 10 (39 per cent) to just 17 per cent. Among Labour and UKIP voters, it fell from 38 per cent to just a quarter (24 per cent) and from three in 10 (31 per cent) to just over one in 10 (12 per cent) respectively.

Labour MP Robert Flello commented “This polling is very striking because it shows a huge change in the public’s attitude to the three parent children proposals in the space of just a few months. There has been a dramatic shift from wafer thin support in February to clear opposition in August, with just 18 per cent now in favour compared to as much as 55 per cent against.”

Earlier this year, the UK Government published draft regulations to allow the technique - known as ‘mitochondrial donation’ - despite widespread concerns that the procedure could result in children being born with serious, disabling abnormalities.

Read more here (CARE) >

Read Christian Concern's response to the recent consultation on plans for "three parent babies" by clicking here >