Keir Starmer slaps down Health Secretary for wading into assisted dying debate & says ‘we must stay neutral’

SIR Keir Starmer yesterday slapped down his Health Secretary for wading into the assisted dying debate.

The PM insisted the Government’s presumption connected the contented should stay "neutral" erstwhile asked astir Wes Streeting's vocal absorption to the Bill.

Speaking connected his mode to the G20 Summit successful Rio, helium told reporters: "It's a escaped vote, and it's precise important that it remains a escaped vote, due to the fact that radical consciousness precise powerfully astir this.

"And that's not a governmental divide. It's a benignant of idiosyncratic divide....

"That's wherefore there'll beryllium a escaped vote. I'm not going to accidental oregon bash thing that volition enactment unit connected different radical successful narration to their vote.

"Every MP volition person to marque his oregon her caput up and determine what they privation to bash erstwhile that ballot comes a week connected Friday."

Sir Keir besides confirmed helium volition ballot connected the Bill but did not yet uncover which mode helium volition go.

Mr Streeting sparked fury past week by declaring he’ll ballot against the Bill, suggesting it could heap unit connected NHS budgets and pb to cuts elsewhere.

Under the legislation, enactment guardant by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater,  terminally sick adults with little than six months to unrecorded would beryllium capable to extremity their lives - with support from 2 doctors and a High Court judge.

MPs person been fixed a escaped ballot connected the legislation, which volition initially beryllium debated connected November 29. Labour adjacent Baroness Harriet Harman accused the Health Secretary of having “crossed the line” successful saying however helium was going to ballot arsenic she believed that “breaches neutrality and sends a signal”.

Baroness Margaret Hodge urged him to “just clasp occurrence a small bit” and described it arsenic “a spot daft” to reason that assisted dying would outgo the wellness work more.

This morning, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson indicated she volition besides reason the Bill but said she was trying to grip the speech astir assisted dying successful a "responsible way".

Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said she intends to ballot successful favour, arsenic she did previously.