Home Secretary signals backing for assisted dying law change
The IndependentGet the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Home Secretary has signalled her backing for proposals to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill people ahead of a Commons vote next week. Yvette Cooper said she was in favour of the “principle of needing change” to the law and pointed to her previous support for different but similar draft legislation when it came before Parliament several years ago. Asked on Good Morning Britain how she would vote on the issue next Friday, Ms Cooper said: “I have voted for change in the past. “I will continue to follow that debate like everybody else.” She added: “I continue to support the principle of needing change but also to ensure that we’ve got the proper safeguards and systems in place.” Asked if that meant a “yes” next week, the Home Secretary replied: “I think I last voted on this about 20 years ago and so I have supported the principle in the past and continue to believe that change is needed but we do need to have that debate on the detail and I’ll continue to follow that debate next Friday.” The vote next Friday will be the first in the Commons on assisted dying since 2015.