Ahead of the first Commons vote on the highly sensitive issue in almost a decade, PM Keir Starmer stressed he will not be putting ‘any pressure whatsoever’ on Labour MPs
Keir Starmer has suggested he is yet to make up his mind on whether he’ll vote in favour of a change in the law on assisted dying.
Ahead of the first Commons vote on the highly sensitive issue in almost a decade, the PM stressed he will not be putting “any pressure whatsoever” on Labour MPs.
The Bill – published today – would allow terminally ill adults with a life expectancy of six months or less to end their lives with approval of two doctors and the High Court. The backbench Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who is spearheading the move, said the legislation provides “for the strictest safeguards anywhere in the world”.
Asked whether he would vote in favour, the PM told reporters: “Look, it’s going to be a free vote and I mean that. It will be for every MP to decide for themselves how they want to vote. I’m not going to be putting any pressure whatsoever on Labour MPs. They will make their own mind up, as I will be.”
He added: “Obviously a lot will depend on the detail and we need to get the balance right but I’ve always argued there will need to be proper safeguards in place.”
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Mr Starmer has previously spoken in favour of changing the law on assisted dying. Before the election he promised the campaigner and broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill with lung cancer, time for a debate on the issue if he won power.
The first Commons vote on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is set for November 29.
But the Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and the Health Secretary Wes Streeting have already suggested they will vote against the measure.
Mr Streeting said last month he had “agonised” over the issue and said he had real concerns over family coercion and objections from disability campaigners. He added: “I think in order to be a real choice, we need to have high quality palliative care available for everybody who needs it. And bluntly we don’t.”
The last attempt to change the law in 2015 was defeated by 330 votes to 118.
