Unease grows over assisted dying as MPs criticise speed of bill's progress

Opposition to the assisted dying bill is growing in parliament after the interventions of the health and justice secretaries to call for caution and a backlash among new MPs who are angered by the speed of the legislation.

- Jessica Elgot

Rachael Maskell, the former Labour shadow minister who chairs the Dying Well all-party parliamentary group against assisted dying, told the Guardian she and others had been meeting dozens of undecided MPs and hoped to persuade them to vote down the bill and push instead for a wide-ranging commission.

The Guardian understands there is particular anger among new Labour MPs about the speed of the bill. The Commons will vote on the private member's bill led by the MP Kim Leadbeater in five weeks' time and there is concern that full details of the legislation are yet to be published.

Keir Starmer is known to be a keen supporter of the proposed change but has said there will be a free vote.

A number of senior politicians have expressed opposition to the bill in recent days. One key factor in the debate among MPs has been the decisions of the health secretary, Wes Streeting, and the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to say they will vote against the bill.