Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, has said she is likely to vote against the bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, as Keir Starmer issued a veiled warning to cabinet ministers, such as Wes Streeting, to stay neutral on the issue.
Starmer, speaking to reporters en route to the G20 summit in Brazil, confirmed for the first time that he would vote on the assisted dying bill later this month, but indicated he would not reveal his position in advance.
Phillipson said her views on the issue had not changed since she voted against assisted dying when it was last debated, and urged ministerial colleagues to keep their discussions about the policy “behind the scenes”.
Under a policy of government neutrality towards the private member’s bill from the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, which will get its first Commons vote this month, ministers are permitted to talk about a previously known stance if asked but are otherwise asked to stay out of the debate.
A number of cabinet ministers including Streeting, the health secretary, are said to have been warned over the weekend about their interventions. Streeting has faced criticism for being more vocally opposed to the bill, and for warning that it could create costs that may restrict other NHS services.
Others cabinet ministers have come out in favour, including the work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, and the transport secretary, Louise Haigh.
Asked about Leadbeater’s bill, Phillipson told Sky News: “It’s for individual members of parliament to decide what they believe is best. This is a very sensitive issue. It’s difficult for everyone. As you say, back in 2015 I voted against that legislation, and I haven’t changed my mind.”
Questioned on whether this was a set position or whether details in the bill could change her mind, Phillipson indicated the former. “There are very strongly held views on both sides, and often we’re very passionate, and it’s quite understandable reasons why people set out their position around changing the law. I continue to think about this deeply, but my position hasn’t changed since 2015,” she said.
In an interview with Times Radio, Phillipson said it was important for ministers to discuss the bill but this should happen between themselves or with other MPs. “I think it’s usually best if those discussions are done so behind the scenes so that people can air, privately, concerns that they might have on all sides of the argument,” she said.
Starmer suggested he would not be making his position public before the vote. “I’m not going to say or do anything that will put pressure on other people in relation to their vote,” he said.
Asked if he would be voting himself, Starmer said: “Yes I will be voting.”
He said it was “very important we maintain neutrality, and I certainly won’t be putting pressure on anyone in relation to the way they vote, because I do respect the two different camps.”
The prime minister is known to be in favour of assisted dying in principle, having previously voted for it in 2015, but he has not said he will back Leadbeater’s bill, which would legalise assisted death for those who are terminally ill and have less than six months to live.
Streeting has suggested the bill is inappropriate while the NHS and hospice care is in a poor state and argued it would cost the NHS money, though proponents of the proposed law have disputed this.
Starmer told reporters: “The government is neutral, and it’s a free vote, and it’s very important that it remains a free vote, because people feel very strongly about this.” He said the free vote meant it was “not a political divide. It’s a sort of individual divide.”
He said he examined the issue closely when he was the director of public prosecutions because the Crown Prosecution Service had to decide whether to prosecute family members involved in people killing themselves.
“I looked at every single assisted suicide case for five years that was investigated. I also did the biggest consultation in criminal justice when we did the consultation on assisted dying. It was the biggest response, because people felt so strongly, and I could feel that, and I’ve always said getting the balance right is crucially important,” he said.
• This article was amended on 19 November 2024 to clarify that the assisted dying bill referred to would apply only to England and Wales.
