Assisted dying bill about right to choose - minister

The assisted dying measure has been defended by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall who said it was astir the "right to choose".

She refused to criticise colleagues who are against the Bill, including Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who wrote to her constituents this play saying the projected changes would make a “slippery slope to decease connected demand”.

Kendall told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg she believed the measure would springiness radical "power, prime and control" implicit their ain deaths.

The bill, which would let immoderate terminally-ill radical to person a medically-assisted death, is to beryllium debated by MPs connected Friday.

Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown told BBC Radio 4 helium wanted to spot much statement connected the issue, saying "life is simply a gift" and helium urged MPs to ballot against the bill.

Speaking connected Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Kendall said: "I deliberation you should person the close to choose.

"The constituent is not that this is for everybody."

Kendall, who is simply a long-time advocator of assisted dying, called the statement connected the measure portion of a “bigger” nationalist treatment arsenic much radical "have longer deaths".

Her comments came arsenic 29 religion leaders representing Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Sikhs signed an unfastened missive successful The Telegraph informing the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, would pb to radical being pressured into ending their lives to debar burdening families oregon the NHS.

MPs volition get a escaped ballot connected Friday connected the measure - introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater - meaning they tin travel their conscience alternatively than enactment orders.