Labor MP says he ‘crossed a red line’ by opposing assisted dying on the street
Faye Brown, political reporter
Mr Wes Street has “crossed a red line” by opposing assisted dying in public, but the debate should not “come down to a question of resources”, a Labor colleague said.
Baroness Harriet Harman appeared on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast to criticize the Health Secretary’s announcement that she intends to vote on the issue in Parliament later this month.
The government is supposed to remain neutral, as members of parliament have a free vote and can follow their conscience rather than party affiliation.
But Mr Streeting said end-of-life care was not enough for people to make informed choices, citing concerns that some people might feel forced to make decisions that would save the NHS money. He announced his intention to vote against legalizing assisted dying.
He also ordered a review of the potential costs of changing the law, warning that other NHS services could be sacrificed if the law comes into force.
Baroness Harman said Mr Street had “crossed the line on two counts”.
“He shouldn’t have said how he would vote, because that would violate his neutrality and send a signal,” she said.
“And secondly…he says the problem is that introducing assisted dying measures is expensive and therefore other services have to be cut.
“But he also said it would be a slippery slope because, paradoxically, people would be forced to bring about their own death in order to save money for the NHS. Well, it’s impossible to do both.” is.”
“You can’t sacrifice NHS money and save NHS money at the same time.”
Baroness Harman said the debate “should not come down to a question of resources” as it was a “serious moral issue” that affected “a very small number of people”.
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