Sir Keir Starmer has “doubled down” on his promise to hold a free vote on assisted dying in the future.
The new Prime Minister has not committed to a timetable for considering a change in the law, although it has suggested that this may not happen next year.
But his position is that MPs will be able to choose to vote with their conscience, rather than along party lines.
Latest Policy: Follow live updates
Speaking on his trip to NATO in the USA, the new prime minister was asked when he would hold the vote he had previously promised on the issue.
He said: “What I said was we would allow time for this, obviously through a private bill.”
A private member’s bill is a proposed change of law suggested in the House of Commons by an MP rather than on behalf of the government.
The Prime Minister added: “There will be a free vote – that remains my position for the reasons I have stated.
“Having probably had more experience of this than most people, having personally looked at dozens of cases in my time as director of public prosecutions.
“As for the timing of that. I haven’t made a commitment on that and I don’t want to because… It’s just that we need to get our priorities straight for the first year or so.
“But I will reinforce the commitment that we will do this. We will allow time for a private bill. It will be a free vote.”
A free vote occurs when MPs can vote with their conscience or personal belief, rather than being told by their parties how to do so.
It is common in issues related to health, religion or military intervention.
See more information:
Starmer promises Dame Esther to vote on assisted dying
Five stories that bring home the debate on assisted dying
The debate about assisted death is often passionate and has recently come to prominence after comments by Dame Esther Rantzen.
This is Life! the presenter revealed that she joined the Swiss Dignitas clinic after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.
She said she believes it is “important that the law matches what the country wants” to make assisted dying legal.
Keep up with the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
More than 200,000 people signed a petition calling for a vote on assisted dying, and Deputies debated the issue at the end of April this year.
Many shared stories related to the loss of family members and loved ones and how this influenced their views on the topic of assisted death.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
