Health Secretary Wes Streeting is expected to vote against fellow Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide bill because he is concerned about the state of palliative care in the UK.
The new Health Secretary reportedly informed fellow Labour MPs at a meeting on Monday that he could not back an assisted suicide law over concerns about the inadequacy of palliative care provision, which would deny patients true choice.
One MP at the meeting told The Times: “He told us he wants to get to a point where people have a real choice at the end of life. At the moment, he said he doesn’t think it’s a genuine choice because palliative care is so bad.
“He did explicitly say he’d be voting against the assisted dying bill. He said he voted for it last time, but he’s changed his mind.”
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has also said that she will vote against the Bill.
Speaking last month at the FT Weekend Festival in London, Mr Streeting voiced his concerns about assisted suicide, including his fear that people might be “coerced”.
“I do not think that palliative care, end-of-life care in this country is in a condition yet where we are giving people the freedom to choose, without being coerced by the lack of support available”, he added.
Palliative care doctors in the UK have condemned Leadbeater’s Bill as a “cheaper solution” to proper end-of-life care.
MPs are set to vote on the Bill on 29 November.
SPUC Comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “The Health Secretary’s refusal to back an assisted suicide law over concerns about safety and choice is a significant development. His fears are backed up by doctors who work every day on the frontline of end-of-life care.
“Rather than killing patients, our health services should be caring for them – they should not be made to feel that they are a burden. The Health Secretary sees the inherent danger in this Bill, which all responsible MPs should recognise too.”
TAKE ACTION: Lobby Your MP NOW
SPUC is urging supporters and all people opposed to assisted suicide to lobby their MP now, asking them to oppose Leadbeater’s assisted suicide bill. We must make sure our voice is heard.
A which SPUC is opposing to help you do this. Enter your postcode to find out who your MP is, write your message, and press send.
SPUC is hosting free online webinars to help supporters understand the details of the proposed legislation and how to effectively voice concerns regarding this.
Each webinar will be no more than 45 minutes in length. During this time, our aim is to empower you with valuable information to lobby your MP effectively and keep the vulnerable safe from assisted suicide. You can register for the webinar which SPUC is opposing.
