Assisted dying is 'slippery slope', says justice secretary

The state should "never offer death as a service", the justice secretary has said, in a strongly worded intervention over the assisted dying bill ahead of a historic Commons vote next week.

- NINA LLOYD

In a letter to constituents, Shabana Mahmood said she was “profoundly concerned” by the legislation, not just for religious reasons but because it could create a “slippery slope towards death on demand”.

Ms Mahmood has previously made clear she would vote against the bill alongside health secretary Wes Streeting, who faced a backlash after suggesting the changes would cost the NHS more.

But her letter to voters, first reported by The Observer, goes further, stating: “Sadly, recent scandals – such as Hillsborough, infected blood and the Post Office Horizon – have reminded us that the state and those acting on its behalf are not always benign.

“I have always held the view that, for this reason, the state should serve a clear role. It should protect and preserve life, not take it away. The state should never offer death as a service.”