Starmer 'pleased' assisted dying vote will take place

Sir Keir Starmer has said helium is "very pleased" MPs volition get the accidental to statement and ballot connected the contented of assisted dying.

The premier curate confirmed his authorities would stay neutral connected the taxable and that his MPs would beryllium fixed a escaped vote, alternatively than having to travel a enactment line.

Asked however helium would vote, Sir Keir said his views were "pretty good known" but that helium would look astatine the details of the measure being proposed.

In 2015, Sir Keir supported an assisted dying measure and past twelvemonth told reporters: "I personally bash deliberation determination are grounds for changing the law”.

On Thursday, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater confirmed she would present a measure giving terminally sick radical successful England and Wales the close to take to extremity their life.

Leadbeater's measure has yet to beryllium finalised but is apt to beryllium akin to Lord Falconer's proposal which would springiness terminally sick adults with six months oregon less to get aesculapian assistance to extremity their ain lives.

Backbench MPs bash not usually get clip successful Parliament for their bills to beryllium debated, but the Spen Valley MP's connection volition beryllium allotted abstraction after she came archetypal successful a ballot.

The measure is expected to beryllium formally introduced successful Parliament connected 16 October, and a statement could instrumentality spot wrong weeks.

Even if it is approved astatine an archetypal vote, the measure would inactive beryllium debated astatine further stages successful the parliamentary process.

It would besides request to beryllium agreed by some the House of Commons and the House of Lords, earlier becoming law.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, a erstwhile paralympian and crossbench adjacent successful the House of Lords, said she had concerns "about the interaction connected susceptible people, connected disabled people, coercive control, and the quality of doctors to marque a six-month diagnosis".

However, broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen, who has been calling for change, welcomed the bill, telling the BBC: "All I’m asking for is that we beryllium fixed the dignity of choice.

"If I determine that my ain beingness is not worthy living, delight whitethorn I inquire for assistance to die. It’s a choice."

The Childline laminitis has lung crab and past twelvemonth said she had joined Dignitas, the assisted dying session successful Switzerland.

Asked astir the contented during a sojourn to Liverpool, Sir Keir said: "I made a committedness to Esther Rantzen earlier the predetermination that we would supply clip for a statement and vote, but that it volition beryllium a escaped vote, and evidently that accidental has present arisen."

He added: "I'm precise pleased... that I'm capable to marque bully connected that committedness to Esther Rantzen."

Asked by BBC North West Tonight if helium would ballot successful favour of changing the law, Sir Keir said: "I deliberation my views are beauteous good know. Obviously I’ll look astatine the item of immoderate authorities is proposed. But the authorities volition beryllium neutral."

It is not casual to foretell however MPs volition ballot connected Leadbeater's bill.

The past clip MPs voted connected the taxable was 9 years ago, and the make-up of the House of Commons has changed greatly since then.

In 2015, MPs rejected a measure allowing immoderate terminally sick adults to extremity their lives with aesculapian supervision by 300 votes to 118.

Sir Keir was among the MPs backing a change, portion Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson each opposed the bill.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting voted successful favour successful 2015 but is present understood to beryllium "conflicted" connected the subject.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told BBC Breakfast helium would ballot successful favour of the assisted dying measure and described the existent instrumentality arsenic "cruel".