The Labor Party was divided on the assisted suicide bill – eight ministers voted against the reforms… including the Minister of Health!

Labor is divided on assisted suicide – eight ministers voted against reforming the law on Friday over fears that vulnerable people would be put under pressure to take their own lives.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood opposed the bill, but their departments will be responsible for implementing it if it becomes law.

Fifteen members of the Cabinet voted in favour, but those voting against included Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.

Although no one spoke in the emotional debate, Lammy later revealed his fears that legalizing assisted suicide would put pressure on many people to take their own lives.

He wrote on social media: “When the moment of soul departure becomes an option, something that must be planned for, just like the financial costs of staying on Earth.”

Reynolds said it would represent a “very significant change for the NHS”, adding: “The details in the bill about how people physically take their own lives leave me with many questions, including how health services will be set up to to provide the lethal drugs necessary to deliver it.

A total of 147 Labor MPs opposed the bill, 234 supported it and 18 did not vote. Diane Abbott was among those who spoke out against assisted suicide during the five-hour debate.

She stressed that Parliament had voted to abolish the death penalty on the grounds that “the state should not engage in taking life.”

Labor is divided on assisted suicide – eight ministers voted against reforming the law over fears that vulnerable people will be pressured to take their own lives

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds was among those who voted against the proposed law

“It was a good rule in 1969 and it remains a good rule today,” she said.

Rachael Maskell, who worked in the NHS as a physiotherapist, said: “This is simply prescribing the wrong medicine. It is extraordinary that there is no critical analysis or even impact assessment when such important matters of life and death are at stake, and our broken health and justice systems would be further stretched.”

Dame Meg Hillier raised doubts about the bill’s alleged safeguards, pointing out: “We have seen many failures in the system, including contaminated blood, and whistleblowing in the NHS repeatedly shows such failings.” Newly elected MP Jess Asato expressed concerns that women would be particularly at risk, saying: “I fear that if this bill is passed, we will see people being forced, either by an abuser or by societal expectations, to take their own lives.”

Most Labor MPs sided with backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who introduced a private member’s bill.

In her opening speech, she said: “When four former Directors of Public Prosecutions, including the Prime Minister, two former Presidents of the Supreme Court and many lawyers agree that the law needs to be changed, we certainly have a duty to do something about it.” .’

Although no one spoke in the emotional debate, Foreign Secretary David Lammy later revealed his fears that legalizing assisted suicide would put pressure on many people to take their own lives