Justice Secretary David Lammy has voiced deep concerns that legalising assisted dying could pressure vulnerable elderly people into ending their lives prematurely.
The Labour minister, became responsible for overseeing the proposed Terminally ill Adults (End of Life) Bill after his recent move to the Ministry of Justice.
The legislation, already approved by the Commons, would allow terminally ill people in England and Wales with less than six months to live to apply for an assisted death.
Lammy has previously spoken of his late mother, who died of cancer, warning she might have felt compelled to choose assisted dying had the option been available.
In a 2024 letter to constituents, he wrote: “When a soul’s moment of departure becomes an option, so does the financial expense of keeping oneself on Earth. Am I lingering too long? Are my carers costing too much?”
His concerns echo those of Health Secretary Wes Streeting, also opposed to the Bill, though both ministers are expected to implement the law if Parliament passes it.
Peers are now scrutinising the Bill in the House of Lords, where a special cross-party committee will examine safeguards before amendments are tabled later this year.
Baroness Berger has already warned that the legislation touches the deepest and most exposed moments of human life and risks harming the vulnerable if protections are incomplete.
Supporters, however, argue the public backs assisted dying and that the Bill has robust safeguards.
Lord Falconer, its sponsor in the Lords, urged peers not to block the law, insisting Parliament not unelected Lords must decide.
If approved, the changes are unlikely to take effect until 2029.
Lammy’s intervention ensures the debate will remain both legally and morally contentious in the months ahead.
