I admire Dame Esther but I'll vote against assisted dying'

Streeting’s coercion fears

- Giles Sheldrick

HEALTH Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed yesterday he will vote against assisted dying being made law despite his "huge admiration" for campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen.

Last week, the TV host, 84, who has stage four lung cancer, asked what kind of health minister Mr Streeting was if he had "no respect or understanding for the views of terminally ill patients".

It came after it emerged he had changed his mind after previously supporting a failed attempt to give terminally ill people the right to die.

Setting out his reasons, Mr Streeting said: "I worry about palliative [end-of-life] care not being good enough to give people a real choice.