Full list: how will the cabinet vote on assisted dying?

There is a week to go until MPs vote on Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying private members’ bill. Cabinet Secretary Simon Case wrote to ministers last month to say that, while they ‘need not resile from previously stated views when directly asked about them, they should exercise discretion and should not take part in the public debate’.

Below is The Spectator’s list of ministers in favour of the change, along with those against and past statements from their cabinet colleagues. They include the 22 full cabinet ministers plus the other four (Campbell, Jones, Hermer and Dodds) who attend weekly meetings:

In favour:

1. Keir Starmer, Prime Minister: ‘I personally do think there are grounds for changing the law.’
2. Ed Miliband, Energy Security Secretary:  ‘I will be voting for the assisted dying Bill. I know there are people who are in the late stages of terminal illnesses, and I think the current situation is rather cruel actually.’
3. Lisa Nandy, Culture Secretary: ‘I want people to have the choice about how they’re treated at the end of their life.’
4. Hilary Benn, Northern Ireland Secretary: ‘I remain of the view that those who are facing the prospect of their own imminent death as a result of a terminal illness should be able to determine the timing and the manner of it.’
5. Alan Campbell, Chief Whip: ‘I plan to be present and to vote in favour of the bill at second reading to allow it to proceed to the committee stage to allow detailed scrutiny.’

Likely to vote in favour:

1. Peter Kyle, Science Secretary: ‘Assisted dying is a tough issue for our politics but we can’t keep sidestepping… It’s time to think again’.
2. Pat McFadden, Minister for the Cabinet Office, voted in favour of changing the law in 2015.
3. Liz Kendall, Work and Pensions Secretary, voted in favour of changing the law in 2015. She said at the time: ‘We don’t talk about what might make a good death and it’s something other countries, I believe, may be more open about.’
4. Louise Haigh, Transport Secretary, voted in favour of changing the law in 2015: ‘My instinct is to vote in favour’.
5. John Healey, Defence Secretary, was absent for the vote on assisted dying in 2015 but voted in favour of a different bill supporting euthanasia in 1997.
6. Ian Murray, Scotland Secretary: ‘I don’t disagree with the principle of assisted dying.’
7. Jo Stevens, Wales Secretary, voted in favour of changing the law in 2015.
8. Lucy Powell, Leader of the House of Commons, voted in favour of changing the law in 2015.
9. Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary: ‘I last voted on this over 20 years ago and my view then was to support the principle of change in this area and that continues to be my view.’

Likely to vote against:

1. Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury: ‘My view is that a Private Member’s Bill is not the right way to try to introduce a change in law on such a complex issue… I therefore plan to either abstain or vote against the Bill.’
2. David Lammy, Foreign Secretary: ‘I’m worried that we start somewhere and that it sort of ends up leading to legalised murder.’
3. Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister, voted against changing the law in 2015.
4. Rachel Reeves, Chancellor: ‘I haven’t made up my mind about assisted dying.’
5. Baroness Smith, Leader of the House of Lords, voted against euthanasia in 1997 as an MP.

Against:

1. Wes Streeting, Health Secretary: ‘I’ve come down this time on voting against the Bill on the basis that I worry about palliative care, end-of-life care not being good enough to give people a real choice.’
2. Shabana Mahmood, Justice Secretary: ‘I feel that once you cross that line, you’ve crossed it forever.’
3. Jonathan Reynolds, Business Secretary: ‘I would really worry about how we would protect vulnerable people… As it stands, I personally wouldn’t vote for assisted dying to be introduced.’
4. Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary: ‘When this matter was last before parliament in 2015 I voted against the legislation and I haven’t changed my mind.’

Undecided:

1. Steve Reed, Environment Secretary, was absent from the 2015 vote on assisted dying.
2. Anneliese Dodds, Equalities, Minister, was not an MP in 2015.
3. Lord Hermer, Attorney General, is yet to opine on assisted dying.

Listen to Labour MP Steve Race discuss Labour dynamics ahead of the assisted dying vote on The Edition podcast: