Starmer would set aside Parliamentary time for vote on assisted dying

SIR KEIR STARMER has said he would set aside parliamentary time to change the law on assisted dying.

The Labour leader, who supports legalisation of assisted dying, has said that, if Labour were to win power, he would be “open” to making legislative time for a backbench Bill amending the law.

Sir Keir confirmed that any decision would be reached following a free vote, with MPs allowed to vote with their consciences, adding that he would support the “right” change in the law but that Parliament should decide what is appropriate.

He told LBC Radio: “I think the best route would probably be a private member’s Bill, which is normally dealt with on a Friday in Parliament. And yes, I would be open to making time for that. I think it should be a free vote.”

British parliamentary tradition is that governments do not put forward Bills on contentious issues such as abortion or assisted dying, leaving it instead to backbenchers. However, most private member’s Bills fail because the government does not set aside enough time for debate, and that is why Sir Keir’s assurance is important.

He spoke and voted in favour of the last parliamentary bid to legalise assisted ‘I think the best route would probably be a private member’s Bill. I think it should be a free vote’

dying in 2015, and when director of public prosecutions he published guidance making it less likely that people would be prosecuted for helping someone to die.

Last month, he said he believed there were “grounds for changing the law” on assisted dying.

It comes after the cause was championed by Dame Esther Rantzen, who has called for politicians to address the issue for the first time since 2015.

The Childline founder, 83, has stage four lung cancer and earlier this week said she had joined Dignitas, the assisted dying clinic in Switzerland.

Earlier this week, Dame Joan Ruddock, a former Labour MP, called for a change in the law and said she had been close to smothering her dying husband to save him from chronic pain.

Assisted suicide is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. It is not a specific offence in Scotland, but assisting the death of someone can leave a person open to murder or other charges. When assisted dying came before the Commons in 2015, it was defeated as MPs voted 330 to 118 against.