Campaigners are making their final cases ahead of the third reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at 9:30am. A vote is expected in the commons later on Friday afternoon. More
The third reading and final Commons vote on Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Friday marks a truly historic moment for parliament.The stakes are so high that entrepreneur Declan Ganley has offered a private ambulance to MP Sorcha Eastwood, who is ill with Covid, to get her to the Commons to vote against the Bill.No wonder. It has been almost six decades since MPs have considered a Bill that would cause such a profound and fundamental change in the state’s relationship with individuals and society’s attitude to life and death.An historic voteIn December Ms Leadbeater won a 55 majority on the second reading vote of her Bill, dealing with the principle rather than details, and is expected to carry a reduced majority today, although that is less certain than it was before.Terminally ill lay preacher Pamela Fisher, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and campaigner and cancer patient Sophie Blake (Jonathan Brady/PA) More
Keir Starmer has suffered a blow as one of his frontbench team resigned over his plans to reduce benefits, saying she could not back cuts that will hit disabled people.Vicky Foxcroft dramatically quit as a government whip and called on the prime minister to “support more disabled people into work” instead.In a letter to the prime minister, she said she could not vote for reforms that “include cuts to disabled people’s finances”.Ms Foxcroft said she could not vote for reforms that include cuts to disabled people’s finances More
Rebel Labour MPs have hit back at Sir Keir Starmer after they were threatened with suspension or blacklisting for voting against his benefit cuts. Party whips have warned backbenchers they will be ruled out of government jobs and could lose the Labour whip if they reject plans to slash the welfare bill by £5bn. Sir Keir is bracing for the biggest rebellion of his leadership when MPs vote on the changes, which will remove the main disability benefit, personal independence payment (PIP), from up to 800,000 people. Keir Starmer and Liz Kendall are seeking to stave off a mass rebellion More
The choice Keir Starmer makes in the next 48 hours could define his premiership. Tony Blair never escaped the accusation he had been George Bush’s “poodle” over the invasion of Iraq. And how far the current Labour PM goes in backing another US president in another foreign conflict could help or haunt him for years to come. Sir Keir has urged Donald Trump to step back from the brink of a direct strike on Iran, warning against any action that would “ramp up the situation”.The PM’s official spokesman said “de-escalation is the priority” after the US president threatened to wade into the conflict.But, if that did happen, how could the UK respond? Sir Keir Starmer has worked hard at forging close ties with President Trump since his return to the Oval Office More
The Scottish government announced it will not mirror the planned changes to welfare disability benefits proposed by Labour.The cost-cutting measures are largely focused on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), designed to help with extra costs incurred by living with an illness or disability.The equivalent in Scotland is the Adult Disability Payment (ADP), and the administration of which is devolved to the Scottish government.Holyrood’s social justice secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, confirmed the decision in an official announcement, criticising the UK government for the plans.Ms Somerville said: “The UK government’s proposed reforms will be hugely damaging to those who rely on social security support, particularly during the ongoing cost of living crisis. These plans have yet to be passed at Westminster, so there is still time for the UK government to step back from this damaging policy and I strongly urge them to scrap their harmful proposals.Scottish social justice secretary Shirley Anne-Somerville More
An MP has been offered the use of a private ambulance to bring her to parliament amid fears the hugely controversial assisted dying bill could come down to just a single vote. Sorcha Eastwood, a Northern Irish MP, announced earlier this week that she was unable to travel to Westminster for the crunch vote because she has Covid.She has spoken out passionately against the proposed bill, but said she did not want to put others at risk of contracting the illness. In response, the entrepreneur Declan Ganley contacted her on social media to offer to arrange transport in a private ambulance.Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood (PA) More
Angela Rayner has praised The Independent’s “amazing” Brick by Brick campaign after the first family fleeing domestic abuse moved into a home it built.The deputy prime minister said she was heartened by the success of the campaign and urged backers to continue supporting it to go from strength to strength. Construction on two purpose-built safe houses was completed earlier this year, and now a survivor of abuse has been handed the keys to their new home – and a fresh start.Angela Rayner praised the ‘amazing’ success of The Independent’s campaign More
