PM reiterates no pressure on assisted dying vote after Streeting criticised

Sir Keir Starmer has said helium is “not going to accidental oregon bash thing that volition enactment unit connected different radical successful narration to their vote” connected assisted dying, aft his Health Secretary was criticised for a bid of interventions connected the arguable issue.

The Prime Minister said it is “very important” that MPs are allowed to ballot arsenic they take and insisted the Government is “neutral” connected the issue.

He besides confirmed helium would beryllium voting erstwhile MPs get their archetypal accidental to bash truthful connected November 29, but has not indicated whether helium volition enactment oregon reason the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

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 Starmer

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has been accused of crossing a enactment by stating his absorption to the assisted dying proposals.

He has confirmed helium volition beryllium voting nary to the projected legislation, has asked his officials to transportation retired a outgo investigation of immoderate alteration and has suggested it could outgo the NHS much if a caller instrumentality was brought in.

In effect to a question astir Wes Streeting’s interventions, Sir Keir said: “The Government is neutral, and it’s a escaped vote, and it’s precise important that it remains a escaped ballot due to the fact that radical consciousness precise powerfully astir this.”

He said it is “crucially important” to get the “balance right” connected the issue, and added: “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.”

Pushed further regarding Mr Streeting, the PM added: “It’s a escaped vote, but it’s precise important we support neutrality, and I surely won’t beryllium putting unit connected anyone successful narration to the mode they vote, due to the fact that I bash respect the 2 antithetic camps.”

He was speaking to reporters connected the mode to the G20 acme successful Rio de Janeiro.

Labour adjacent Baroness Harriet Harman past week accused Mr Streeting of breaching the Government’s neutral stance connected the issue, portion Baroness Margaret Hodge suggested helium should “just clasp occurrence a small bit” and that it was “a spot daft” to suggest assisted dying could outgo the NHS more.

Sir Keir, who supported a alteration the past clip the contented was voted connected successful the Commons 9 years ago, has pledged to survey the details of the latest Bill, which was published a week ago.

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater has described her Bill arsenic the astir “robust” successful the world, with “three layers of scrutiny” successful the signifier of a sign-off by 2 doctors and a High Court judge. It would besides marque coercion an offence with a imaginable punishment of 14 years successful jail.

The PM’s comments came arsenic Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Transport Secretary Louise Haigh some said they had not changed their minds since voting connected antecedently projected authorities successful 2015.

In an interrogation with the PA quality agency, Ms Haigh said: “Obviously, this is simply a substance of conscience, and the Government is neutral, but my idiosyncratic presumption is that I mean to ballot for it.”

She said she had “weighed up a fig of issues, including my constituents’ concerns”, but added that she would acceptable retired further details connected her reasoning aft the ballot “given that the Government is required to beryllium neutral”.

Meanwhile, Ms Phillipson told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme: “Back successful 2015 erstwhile this was past earlier Parliament, I voted against the measurement and, successful that time, I haven’t changed my mind.”

She suggested her concerns are astir having safeguards against coercion, and connected the wider treatment astir the contented of assisted dying, stated that she wanted to attack the taxable “in a liable way”.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said past period she volition not enactment the Bill, portion Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has stated she volition ballot yes.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves past week declined to springiness her view, saying she volition beryllium “looking astatine each the grounds up of the ballot successful Parliament”.