Article by Tony Blair in today's Sunday Telegraph, and I've got to admit that for once I have a lot of sympathy for Tony Blair on this issue. The antics of groups such as the ALF are quite frankly indefensible and are indeed worthy of condemnation.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/14/nrights214.xmlPrime ministers don't often sign public petitions. After all, they usually either criticise the Government or demand priority treatment for a specific cause. So announcing that I am to add my name to the on-line petition in support of animal testing when necessary is something of a break with tradition - and a sign of just how important I believe it is that as many people as possible stand up against the tiny group of extremists threatening medical research and advances in this country.
The People's Petition describes itself as "giving a voice to the silent majority" of British people in favour of properly regulated medical research. Now is the time to add my voice.
This week underlined why the time is right for such a show of public support. The appalling details of the campaign of intimidation - which include grave-robbing - show the depths to which the animal extremists are prepared to stoop. The letter-writing campaign just launched against GlaxoSmithKline shareholders shows why we must support and protect individuals and companies engaged in life-saving medical research.
It is research which has helped hundreds of millions of people through vaccines to eradicate mass killers such as smallpox and medicines and procedures to treat incurable conditions like heart complaints. Research, too, which holds out the hope in tandem with other scientific advances such as genetic modification of extraordinary breakthroughs in treating and preventing diseases as varied as cancer, muscular dystrophy and Alzheimer's.
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