Health Secretary Wes Streeting has stated that he intends to vote against an upcoming assisted suicide Bill, citing the unsatisfactory state of NHS palliative care.
Streeting was probed by fellow Labour MPs ahead of next month’s House of Commons debate on Kim Leadbeater’s Private Member’s Bill. If the proposals become law, those deemed to be terminally ill would be allowed to receive help to kill themselves.
Alongside the Health Secretary, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood also said she opposes the Bill due to her belief in the “sanctity and the value of human life”.
‘Not a genuine choice’
One Labour MP at the meeting highlighted: “Wes said that palliative care isn’t good enough, then added he hadn’t intended to get into the discussion about assisted dying, but told us his view”.
The MP continued: “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.”
Reinforcing doubts
Another Labour MP said: “I think the concern quite a few MPs have, including the one who asked the question, is that palliative and end-of-life care is in such a poor state that that’s a reason people are unable to die with dignity in many cases. So sort that out first, then come back to this later.”
A ministerial aide commented: “There are MPs who have doubts but are on the fence, and this would have reinforced those doubts. The justification is nothing he didn’t say in public, but this is the health secretary, you’ve got to take it seriously.”
Last month, when asked about the topic, the Health Secretary told the Financial Times Weekend Festival: “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.”
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