Labour tempers flare over assisted dying as MP accuses peer of ‘hugely offensive’ remarks | EUROtoday

A bitter new Labour confrontation erupted on Monday over the position of faith within the plan to legalise assisted dying.

A senior Labour MP denounced Lord Falconer for claiming justice secretary Shabana Mahmood opposed the regulation change as a result of it was in opposition to her Muslim religion.

Rachael Maskell, who additionally opposes assisted dying, known as on Lord Falconer to make an apology for his “offensive and discriminatory” feedback.

Meanwhile, chatting with The Independentformer Labour well being minister Ben Bradshaw accused bishops within the Church of England of being “out of step with Anglicans”, criticising the church for “giving the impression that there is only one Christian view on assisted dying”.

Ms Maskell’s intervention got here after Lord Falconer mentioned cupboard ministers shouldn’t impose their non secular beliefs on others of their objections to assisted dying.

Lord Falconer, an ally of Sir Keir Starmer, mentioned the justice secretary had “religious and spiritual reasons” for being against assisted dying.

“I think she’s motivated – and I respect this – by her religious beliefs. They shouldn’t be imposed on everybody else,” he added.

Asked on Monday by the BBC to reply to Lord Falconer’s remarks, Ms Maskell, who has spoken previously of her sturdy Christian religion, mentioned: “I find it highly offensive and discriminatory… and he should apologise for making such comments.”

The row comes as temperatures are flaring on the Labour benches concerning the assisted dying invoice, which MPs will vote on this Friday.

Sir Keir’s authorities is break up on the proposed laws, with the prime minister selecting to not reveal how he’ll vote whereas well being secretary Wes Streeting plans to oppose it.

In a letter to constituents revealed on Sunday, Ms Mahmood – probably the most senior Muslim politician in Britain – mentioned she was “profoundly concerned” by the proposed laws, forward of a historic Commons vote this week.

She argued “the state should never offer death as a service”.

Polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice mentioned on Monday that whereas surveys present constant public backing for assisted dying, it had much less help amongst these with non secular views.

He mentioned roughly two in three voters favour a change within the regulation, with one in six in opposition to, and little change in polls over the past 40 years.

It meant assisted dying was “less controversial” than historic selections to abolish capital punishment and legalise homosexual marriage the place the general public’s view on the time had not been so clear.

Prof Curtice added: “It is fair to say that those with religious views, Christian, Muslim or whatever, are less keen on assisted dying than the rest of the population.”

Mr Bradshaw, who’s a practising Anglican, informed The Independent that the choice of main Christian figures to talk out on this matter “reflects repeated mistakes from church leadership on a whole range of issues”.

It comes after the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby claimed the legalisation of assisted dying can be harmful, suggesting it might result in a slippery slope the place extra folks would really feel compelled to have their life ended medically.

“Whether its treatment of divorcees, women in the church, the role of LGBT people in the church – in every single instance, the church has been on the wrong side of history. For me, it’s the final straw,” Mr Bradshaw mentioned.

“I just thought it was odd for the bishops to speak out so strongly on an issue where once again they’re so out of step with Anglicans as a whole.

“And not least – just a week after this major scandal exploded to rock the Church of England, exposing the historic failure of the church leadership to deal with the problem of child abuse.”

While Mr Bradshaw mentioned he, as a practising Christian, believes within the sanctity of life, he mentioned he sees nothing in church texts that “dictate that we should use all the wonders of modern science and medicine to keep people alive when they have a terminal illness and we should make them suffer”.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has been described as probably the most important change in Britain’s social legal guidelines since abortion was legalised in 1967.

With days to go earlier than the historic vote, the result’s on a knife-edge, with backers of the invoice believing they’ve sufficient help, whereas opponents consider they are able to block it.

In a big intervention on Friday, Gordon Brown got here out in opposition to the laws, arguing as a substitute for the institution of a fee on improved palliative care.

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy, work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall, Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn, transport secretary Louise Haigh and vitality secretary Ed Miliband have all mentioned they may again the regulation.

As nicely as Ms Mahmood and Mr Streeting, training secretary Bridget Phillipson and enterprise secretary Jonathan Reynolds have mentioned they may reject the laws.

Many of these against a regulation change have voiced concern concerning the potential for coercion and mission creep, and say the laws has been rushed.

A gaggle of 29 religion leaders united to oppose the invoice in a joint letter on Sunday, saying they had been “deeply concerned” that it may open up the potential for “life-threatening abuse”.

MP Kim Leadbeater, who launched the non-public member’s invoice, has described it as probably the most “robust” on the earth, with “three layers of scrutiny” within the type of a sign-off by two medical doctors and a High Court choose.

It would additionally make coercion an offence with a potential punishment of 14 years in jail.

The invoice, which covers England and Wales, states that solely terminally-ill adults with underneath six months left to reside and a settled want to die can be eligible.

Lord Falconer was contacted for remark.