Starmer Reaffirms Commitment to Assisted Suicide Vote

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has repeated his commitment to holding a debate and free vote on assisted suicide.
Starmer made the pledge in response to a public request from Dame Esther Rantzen to remember his promise to her that he would allow the vote if he became prime minister.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Starmer said that he had given the terminally ill veteran broadcaster his word when they last spoke in March that he would allow time for debate with a private member’s bill, “and I repeat that commitment.”
“I made it to her personally and I meant it, and we will,” he said.
The remarks come after former Labour Justice Secretary Lord Falconer introduced the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill in the House of Lords in July, which is expected to be debated in mid-November.
Starmer had previously said that he was “personally in favour of changing the law” and when asked on Tuesday if he would support a law, said that he would “look at the legislation first.”
Safeguards which campaigners say would be put in place to stop abuse of the system include eligibility being restricted only to those with a terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less and where the person is experiencing unbearable pain.
But pro-life groups warn that changes to the law could leave the vulnerable subject to being coerced into ending their own lives.
Right to Life UK, which campaigns to promote the value of human life at all stages, say that making assisted suicide legal “is a very dangerous idea” which poses a “clear threat” to those with disabilities.
A UK government spokesperson said earlier this month: “Successive governments have taken the view that any change to the law in this sensitive area is a matter for Parliament to decide.
“This Government has made clear that time will be provided for a proper debate and vote on any legislation brought forward.”