UK politicians have rejected calls to ban the creation of animal–human hybrid embryos. In a key vote on 19 May, parliamentarians voted by 336–176 in favour of allowing the creation of ‘cybrid’ embryos, those created from human DNA and an empty animal egg. They also favoured the creation of ‘true’ genetic animal–human hybrid embryos, purely for research purposes, by the narrower margin of 286 to 223.

Parliamentarians were given a ‘free’ vote, rather than being whipped along party lines, on the most controversial aspects of a raft of proposed new fertility legislation. The entire bill, after further votes on aspects such as Britain’s current abortion limit of 24 weeks, will be voted on as a whole in coming months.