Latest news with #Leadbeater
BBC News
16-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Politicians to face assisted dying decision after Senedd election
A decision to provide assisted dying services in the Welsh NHS would not come until after the next Senedd election in May 2026, a minister has said.A committee heard on Tuesday that the Senedd will to have a decision to take whether terminally ill people can obtain an assisted death in the public sector, should the UK Parliament agree to legalise the Secretary Jeremy Miles said a "significant amount of work" will be needed to prepare, with most of it falling to the next Welsh committee also heard ministers would have to consider whether assisted dying would only be available to those who could afford it in the private sector if the Senedd blocked access. The current crop of 60 Senedd politicians rejected a proposal on assisted dying last has a significant decision to take before the election when it votes on whether Kim Leadbeater's legislation should apply in the areas it usually it is not legally binding, and it would still be for a government formed after the next Senedd election to decide whether to provide a service on the NHS, and for the new Welsh Parliament to agree to it in a further Leadbeater's bill assisted death for terminally ill people would be legalised in England and Wales regardless of what the Senedd means the decision the Welsh Parliament faces is about how or if it is provided - and not whether it's a criminal is usual with matters of conscience, Labour, the Welsh Conservatives, Reform and the Liberal Democrats said they would maintain a neutral position on the issue at the next Cymru has allowed its politicians a free vote in the Leadbeater's bill has passed the House of Commons and now has to be examined by the House of Lords before it becomes law. There is a difference of opinion within the Senedd's three main parties and Jeremy Miles was among the ministers who opposed the assisted dying vote in the Senedd last told BBC Wales he remained opposed to the legislation - "that is still my view", he legislation gives the Welsh government the power to set the legal rules for how an assisted dying service would be provided by the told the Senedd's health committee on Wednesday morning said the Welsh government "would need to make a policy decision to be open to introducing the service".The health secretary said that given the "timing of the legislation and the Senedd term" that would "effectively be a government in the new Senedd".Pushed by Tory chair Peter Fox on whether the government could choose to refuse to implement elements of the bill, Miles said: "In devolved competence, certainly"."And even if the government wanted to and the Senedd didn't want to approve it the Senedd would have that ability as well". Labour MS John Griffiths asked what the implications would be for the Welsh NHS if the Senedd voted said if a service was operating in England, but not in Wales because of the Senedd or because of timing, "the sorts of things we would be thinking about [are] people crossing the border for services, distances to services" and "equality of experience".Miles said there would be "options in England and Wales for services to be provided other than in the public sector"."The Welsh government already has regulatory powers in relation to some independent healthcare provision, so the precise mix of regulatory powers for non-public provision in Wales would depend upon who is providing it and what they are providing." Raising the idea that some people could access assisted dying services privately, Conservative MS James Evans said: "You could have a situation in Wales where those who could afford to pay for assisted dying could access it, and those who cannot afford it would not be able to access it."Asked if the "equality of access to the service" would need to be a consideration for future ministers, Miles said "yes".However, he pointed out there were lots of decisions to make before that scenario could told the committee that the legislation provides for services to be implemented "no later than October 2029"."There's a substantial period of time, but there are a number of things which, both in Wales and England, would need to be settled in advance of that."Who is providing the service, where, what the workforce implications of that are," he said. "There's a very significant level of work that would need to follow from the decision by a government that they are open to introducing this service." The first vote on the legislation in the Senedd - a legislative consent motion (LCM) - is expected later this would not decide how a service is provided but would indicate whether this Senedd is happy for the UK Parliament to legislate. It is not legally binding but the vote is meant to be respected by Westminster. Miles indicated it would be "influential" on decisions taken by the Welsh government whether to press ahead or reporting by Cemlyn Davies
Spectator
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Kim Leadbeater's office blunders again
Oh dear. It seems that the office of the Hon. Member for Spen Valley has put their foot in it again. Kim Leadbeater might have hoped for a quieter life now that her much-criticised Assisted Dying Private Members' Bill narrowly scraped through the Commons by 23 votes on Friday. But Leadbeater has started the new week off in the worst possible way in her capacity as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. Leadbeater's office gaily sent around an email to her Labour comrades this afternoon, giving them their lines to take at this week's oral questions on Thursday. 'Dear colleagues', it began, 'we're writing ahead… to share a few suggested questions for tabling.' There then followed a list of ten suggested ideas to fearlessly hold Nandy and her fellow ministers to account. Zingers included, 'What steps her Department is taking to support the delivery of major sporting events?' and 'What steps her Department is taking to promote participation in sport?' Talk about a curveball. Unfortunately, with a trademark attention to detail, it seems that the planted Labour questions were sent to a bunch of Tory MPs too. 'At least it's not people's lives this time', said one of them to Mr S. Forensic stuff indeed…
Spectator
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Tories will remember this assisted dying vote
'I judge a man by one thing, which side would he have liked his ancestors to fight on at Marston Moor?' So said Isaac Foot, the Liberal MP and father of Michael. For some Tories, both in and out of parliament, Friday's assisted dying debate will carry a similar weight in judgements of character. Some 80 per cent of Tory MPs voted against Kim Leadbeater's Bill at Third Reading, with 92 against, 20 in favour and five registered abstentions. Of the 25-strong new intake, elected last year, just four backed Leadbeater's Bill: Aphra Brandreth, Peter Bedford, Ashley Fox and Neil Shastri-Hurst. Social conservatives note that the Tories were much more aligned on assisted dying than Reform, which split by three votes against to two in favour. Only six MPs backed both this measure and Tuesday's abortion liberalisation vote: Brandreth, Shastri-Hurst, Luke Evans, Kit Malthouse, Andrew Mitchell and Laura Trott. A striking number of senior Tories were among the 20 who supported assisted dying including Rishi Sunak, Oliver Dowden and Jeremy Hunt. Six shadow cabinet members backed it too including Mel Stride, Victoria Atkins and Chris Philp. 'That's the end of his leadership hopes', remarks one opponent. Among those who opposed assisted dying, there is praise for Kemi Badenoch. The Tory leader had previously supported the concept in principle before coming out strongly against Leadbeater's Bill in November. Her argument centred on the legislative process: that insufficient time was dedicated to the Bill and that MPs ought to serve as scrutineers, not campaigners. Her robust stance since then has impressed begrudging internal critics. 'She did do a good job', admits one MP who backed a rival candidate. Friday's vote showed Badenoch's thinking to be firmly in-line with the majority of her own MPs on this issue. There is frustration among some of her supporters that if twelve Tory proponents had changed their mind, Leadbeater's Bill would have been sunk. Perhaps, in time, assisted dying will become accepted wisdom in Tory circles. Those in favour cite its public support and point to the party's history of belatedly backing 'progressive' measures. In March 2003, it was a minority of modernisers who disregarded Iain Duncan Smith to back scrapping Section 28. Within five years, one of them, Boris Johnson, was standing for Mayor of London. Within ten, a Tory PM was championing same-sex marriage. But for those still reeling and angry from yesterday's vote, it certainly doesn't feel that way today.
North Wales Chronicle
21-06-2025
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Opponents of assisted dying vow to fight on as MPs back Bill
Ms Leadbeater's Bill passed what could be its final Commons hurdle by 23 votes, down from the majority of 55 it secured when MPs first voted on it in November. The Spen Valley MP declared 'thank goodness' after the result while Rebecca Wilcox, daughter of campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, said it was 'wonderful' the result had come ahead of her mother's birthday. But opponents vowed to fight on against what they called a 'deeply flawed Bill'. A group of 27 Labour MPs who voted against the legislation said: 'We were elected to represent both of those groups and are still deeply concerned about the risks in this Bill of coercion of the old and discrimination against the disabled, people with anorexia and black, Asian and minority ethnic people, who we know do not receive equitable health care. 'As the Bill moves to the House of Lords it must receive the scrutiny that it needs. Not about the principles of assisted dying but its application in this deeply flawed Bill.' But Ms Leadbeater told the PA news agency she hoped there would be no 'funny games' in the Lords, as her Bill faces further tough hurdles in the upper chamber. She added: 'I would be upset to think that anybody was playing games with such an important and such an emotional issue.' Meanwhile, one of the leading opponents of the Bill, Conservative Danny Kruger, described its supporters as 'enemies', saying he felt 'like Evelyn Waugh at the time of the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939'. In a series of tweets on Friday night, the East Wiltshire MP accused assisted dying campaigners of being 'militant anti-Christians' who had failed to 'engage with the detail of the Bill'. He added: 'It's the revenge of the middle-aged against their dependents.' Ms Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End Of Life) Bill will now proceed to the House of Lords, where it will undergo further scrutiny before becoming law, should peers decide to back the legislation. But some peers have already spoken out against the legislation, with the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, saying they 'must oppose' the Bill as 'unworkable and unsafe'.
Leader Live
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Opponents of assisted dying vow to fight on as MPs back Bill
Ms Leadbeater's Bill passed what could be its final Commons hurdle by 23 votes, down from the majority of 55 it secured when MPs first voted on it in November. The Spen Valley MP declared 'thank goodness' after the result while Rebecca Wilcox, daughter of campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, said it was 'wonderful' the result had come ahead of her mother's birthday. But opponents vowed to fight on against what they called a 'deeply flawed Bill'. A group of 27 Labour MPs who voted against the legislation said: 'We were elected to represent both of those groups and are still deeply concerned about the risks in this Bill of coercion of the old and discrimination against the disabled, people with anorexia and black, Asian and minority ethnic people, who we know do not receive equitable health care. 'As the Bill moves to the House of Lords it must receive the scrutiny that it needs. Not about the principles of assisted dying but its application in this deeply flawed Bill.' But Ms Leadbeater told the PA news agency she hoped there would be no 'funny games' in the Lords, as her Bill faces further tough hurdles in the upper chamber. She added: 'I would be upset to think that anybody was playing games with such an important and such an emotional issue.' Meanwhile, one of the leading opponents of the Bill, Conservative Danny Kruger, described its supporters as 'enemies', saying he felt 'like Evelyn Waugh at the time of the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939'. In a series of tweets on Friday night, the East Wiltshire MP accused assisted dying campaigners of being 'militant anti-Christians' who had failed to 'engage with the detail of the Bill'. He added: 'It's the revenge of the middle-aged against their dependents.' Ms Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End Of Life) Bill will now proceed to the House of Lords, where it will undergo further scrutiny before becoming law, should peers decide to back the legislation. But some peers have already spoken out against the legislation, with the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, saying they 'must oppose' the Bill as 'unworkable and unsafe'.
