Will ‘naughty’ cabinet ministers influence assisted dying vote?
At the start of the summer many in Westminster assumed that this new parliament, with its young intake and big Labour majority, was on course to take an historic opportunity to pass a new law and enable assisted dying.
Now the outcome is far less certain. The majority of MPs say they are genuinely undecided on the issue, or are yet to declare their view publicly.
Officially, the government is neutral on the issue. Cabinet ministers have been told they “should exercise discretion and should not take part in the public debate” by the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case - but not everyone has followed his instructions.
The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, is perhaps the most high-profile critic of a change in the law - and his decision to go public hasn't gone without criticism.
One cabinet minister described it as "very bad behaviour", adding: “We're all meant to be neutral when asked. Keir told us all in cabinet."
This week Mr Streeting, who previously voted in favour of assisted dying, suggested some NHS Services might lose out if it becomes law, and has asked the Department of Health to look at the costs of implementing any change - although MPs won’t be informed of the findings before they vote.
There is also a suggestion by a friend of the health secretary, who is a practicing anglican, that he may have been influenced to change his mind by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Both Justin Welby and Mr Streeting have spoken about their concerns of a “slippery slope” if assisted dying becomes law.
Wes Streeting told ITV News he’d last spoken to Justin Welby “some weeks ago” and added: “I’ve come to my view more on practical issues, rather than from a religious viewpoint.”
Mr Streeting also said it was right the archbishop had resigned over his handling of historic abuse cases in the Church of England.
On Sunday, Louise Haigh, became the latest cabinet minister to express support for the assisted dying bill.
The Transport Secretary told ITV News: “my instinct is to vote in favour."
Liz Kendall, Peter Kyle, Ed Miliband, Lisa Nandy, Lucy Powell and Jo Stevens have also said they plan to vote in favour.
Darren Jones, the Treasury Chief Secretary, and Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, have both said they oppose changing the law.
MPs have now got the finer details of the bill, which they can scrutinise before they vote on it in two weeks' time.
The private members bill, brought forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, would allow terminally ill adults who are expected to die within six months to seek help to end their life.
Unlike most votes in parliament, it will be a free one. MPs don’t have party whips telling them what to do - or helping them draft statements, speeches or letters to constituents.
But there are real concerns that public interventions from cabinet ministers will influence new MPs to vote a certain way.
Tom Gordon, a Liberal Democrat MP who is also in favour of assisted dying, told the Yorkshire Post: “I think people who are in those positions of power, there’s a difference between exercising your voice to your own personal view and exercising your voice in that position of authority and power.”
On Sunday morning, Chris Philp, the shadow Home Secretary, told ITV News that Mr Streeting was being “rather naughty” for using “his position as health secretary to advance a particular side of the argument.”
Over the next two weeks, assisted dying campaigners will intensify their efforts to reassure MPs with concerns about a change in the law.
Doctors from Australia and California (where assisted dying is already legal), lawyers and religious leaders will speak to MPs in parliament.
A number of cross-party MPs have also launched an ‘unofficial whips’ group to keep track of MPs’ views. “It’ll be close - but I think we’ll just fall short,” said one MP hoping to see a change in the law.
But one phrase keeps coming up among many of parliament’s new intake - “too soon”.
Some are still finding their way around the building, many haven’t finished hiring staff. The pressure of voting on such an historic piece of legislation so soon into their parliamentary career is a lot.
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