Angela Rayner has determined how she’ll vote on assisted dying – and praises ‘nationwide debate’

Whether the Assisted Dying Bill passes or falls when it returns to the Commons on Friday, Angela Rayner says it’s good that it’s sparked a “long-overdue” national debate on dying.

The Deputy Leader says she has decided how she’ll vote on the bill, but won’t be “wading in” to express her view.

It comes after a string of cabinet ministers defied civil service advice to keep their views on the bill to themselves – with Health Secretary Wes Streeting notably coming out against the move to legalise euthanasia.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown also declared his opposition, saying his newborn daughter’s death in 2002 had convinced him of he “value and imperative of good end-of-life care”.

He said the debate on assisted dying was moving too fast, given the “profound ethical and practical issues” – adding the current state of the NHS means this is not the right time for a far-reaching decision.

“I’m not going to wade in and say which way because I actually think the most important thing is that people read the bill and then get as much information as they possibly can, including speaking to their constituents,” Ms Rayner said.

Asked if she thought the wind was blowing one way or the other on the bill, she added: “No, I think people are genuinely looking at all of the different information.”

“If anything, it’s sparked a national debate,” she added. “Exploring some of the challenges that we face at the moment as well around how we look after people and how people are given palliative care and what the pathways are for people at the moment.

“Britain’s not very good at talking about death….People just don’t like talking about it, as if it somehow brings it forward.

“But the one thing we always guaranteed when we’re born is that we will die one day, and therefore a debate around how we look after people I think is a long overdue debate.”