Sir Keir Starmer is set to appear at PMQs under pressure to make a steel deal with Donald Trump after the US president announced tariffs in an escalating trade war.
British steel exports to the US will be hit with 25% tariffs as the UK’s new ambassador to Washington, Lord Mandelson, said people must respect the president’s “strong and clear mandate”.
It came after the US president raised import tariffs “without exceptions or exemptions”, marking a big increase from the 10% level he levied in 2018.
Downing Street insisted the UK’s special relationship with the US is “very good” despite fears Britain’s steel industry is going to be hit.
Meanwhile, Oliver Ryan became the second Labour MP to be suspended alongside nearly a dozen Labour councillors as part of its investigation into a WhatsApp group that has already seen two MPs lose the whip.
The scandal had already cost Andrew Gwynne his job as a junior health minister.
Key Points
- UK 'stands ready' to work with US over steel tariffs, says trade minister
- EU considers stronger trade ties with Gulf countries
- UK government claims US special relationship ‘very good’ despite Trump's tariffs
- Badenoch rules out pact with Reform
Sue Gray takes her seat in House of Lords
04:00
,
Tara Cobham
Sue Gray, the “partygate” investigator who went on to become Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, has taken her seat in the unelected House of Lords four months after leaving the heart of Government.
Taking the title Baroness Gray of Tottenham, the former senior civil servant wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony in the upper chamber, where she swore the oath of allegiance to the King.
She was supported by former Whitehall chief and independent crossbencher Lord O’Donnell and fellow Labour peer Baroness Harman.
03:03
The Times are reporting that 12 Labour MPs and a Green MP are pushing ministers to introduce a four-day working week.
The backbenchers are supporting an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill.
The amendment would commit the government to setting up a body to look into bringing in a four-day week across the economy.
The bill proposes new rights such as flexible working and a ban on exploitative zero-hours contracts.
Kinship carers to march to Treasury in call for financial support
01:20
,
Barney Davis
Kinship carers are set to march to the Treasury to call for financial support.
Up to 50 marchers are set to head to Whitehall, pushing shopping trolleys and a giant list of the essentials the average kinship family has to find a way to pay for each month, representing what they say is the Government’s debt to kinship carers.
This could cover anything from food, uniform, clothing and heating bills.
One kinship carer, whose name was only given as Carmen, said she was living in a council house in south-west London with her 13-year-old grandson, who she has raised since he was a baby after his parents were unable to care for him.
The woman, who is in her 50s, said: “As it is, I go without so that he can eat. For me, it’s often a case of ‘do I eat or do I feed him and pay the bills?’ I have had to give up my home to find somewhere even smaller. I have been in debt.
“We don’t put the heating on – we just come home and get under the duvets. I love him so much – he’s so funny and smart – and I would do anything for him but love doesn’t pay the bills.”
Trump risks international arrest warrant
00:01
,
Barney Davis
Donald Trump risks an arrest warrant being issued for him after he imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), a top human rights lawyer has warned.
Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, argued that Article 70 of the Rome Statute forbids the obstruction of justice.
The Labour peer told the House of Lords that, under this law, no officer of the ICC can be impeded in carrying out their duties.
Her comments came after the US president issued an executive order in response to what is described as “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel”.
Lady Kennedy said: “The world will never see peace if there is no entity which will pursue justice for victims of egregious crimes.
“There cannot be impunity for our allies.”
Rachel Reeves reveals ginger 'hair fiasco' - report
Tuesday 11 February 2025 23:09
,
Barney Davis
Playbook reported that the Chancellor revealed that the two weeks in October she went ginger were a “total nightmare … hair fiasco” and a “huge mistake”.
Rachel Reeves said it came after she tried a treatment that was meant to make her hair smoother.
Instead, it went a funny orange tinge.
Peers defeat Government on energy firms linked to modern slavery
Tuesday 11 February 2025 20:56
,
Barney Davis
Peers have inflicted a heavy defeat on the Government in backing moves to prevent the involvement of a new publicly-funded energy company with firms linked to modern slavery.
The House of Lords supported by 177 votes to 127, majority 50, a cross-party measure to ensure that the UK’s multi-billion pound green transition does not come at the expense of forced labour under repressive regimes.
The change to legislation would block taxpayer funding for Great British Energy if there was “credible evidence” of exploitation in its supply chain.
The setback for the Labour frontbench means the amendment to the Great British Energy Bill will have to be considered by MPs.
The Government has seen off two attempts to make changes to its Great British Energy Bill in the House of Lords
Tuesday 11 February 2025 20:23
,
Barney Davis
Peers rejected by 156 votes to 64, majority 92, a Liberal Democrat amendment regarding the Warm Homes Plan and emergency home insulation.
The amendment, tabled by Liberal Democrat energy spokesperson Earl Russell, would have required the Government to transfer responsibility for the Warm Homes Plan to Great British Energy, should it be requested.
It would also have required Great British Energy to introduce an emergency home insulation programme that would seek to reduce household energy bills and contribute to achieving climate targets.
Later, peers rejected by 195 votes to 148, majority 47, a Conservative amendment that would cap the level of funding that the Government could put into Great British Energy at its current allocation of £8.3 billion.
The amendment, put forward by backbench Tory Lord Petitgas and supported by his front bench, aimed to “ensure fiscal discipline and taxpayer protection”.
Labour suspends 11 councillors over WhatsApp group
Tuesday 11 February 2025 19:51
,
Barney Davis
The Labour Party have suspended as many as 11 councillors all part of the “offensive” WhatsApp group that was leaked to the Daily Mail.
The members- from Tameside and Stockport councils - are understood to have been part of the private group named Trigger Me Timbers, which was set up to coordinate Labour's campaigning in the local area.
They include Allison Gwynne, Andrew Gwynne's wife, who is a councillor on Tameside council, and Brenda Warrington, its former leader.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: "As part of our WhatsApp group investigation, a group of councillors have been administratively suspended from the Labour Party.
"As soon as this group was brought to our attention, a thorough investigation was launched in line with the Labour Party's rules and procedures and this process is ongoing.
"Swift action will always be taken where individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour Party members."
Axing Chagos deal to swerve Trump tariffs on steel a ‘hypothetical’ strategy
Tuesday 11 February 2025 19:00
,
Tara Cobham
A minister has declined to say whether the Government could swerve US tariffs on British steel by throwing the Chagos deal “in the dustbin”.
Douglas Alexander described the suggestion as a “hypothetical negotiating strategy”, which Conservative MP Sir Julian Lewis had “ventriloquised” in the House of Commons.
Taking questions about Donald Trump’s plan for 25% tariffs on British steel exports to the US, Mr Alexander told MPs the US president had a “speciality in generating uncertainty”.
Read more here:
Trump imposed steel tariffs in 2018. Here’s what happened
Tuesday 11 February 2025 18:20
,
Tara Cobham
President Donald Trump has announced he will impose tariffs of 25 percent on all imported steel and aluminum — but this isn’t the first time he has done so.
During his first term, he implemented a similar policy, causing imports to drop and several countries to implement retaliatory tariffs.
Here’s why Trump wants to implement the new tariffs — and what happened under the same policy during his last term:
Labour MPs call for four-day week as part of workers’ rights package
Tuesday 11 February 2025 18:00
,
Tara Cobham
More than a dozen MPs have called for a four-day working week to be considered by ministers as part of a new set of workers rights rules.
The MPs, 12 of whom are Labour and one of whom is from the Green Party, want the Government to set up a body to look into bringing in a four-day week across the economy.
A four-day working week with no loss of pay is becoming more popular in the UK.
More than 200 companies in January confirmed they had made the switch to the shortened work pattern permanently.
The majority of the companies said their employees work 32 hours a week or less over the course of a week.
Proponents of the new working pattern say people are happier and less likely to suffer from burnout when they work fewer days.
Peter Dowd, the Labour MP who put forward the amendment, said that with things like artificial intelligence enabling people to work more efficiently, the benefits “must be passed back to workers”.
“A four-day, 32-hour working week is the future of work and I urge my party to back this amendment so we can begin a much wider transition.”
No 10 says any changes to assisted dying bill are matter for parliament
Tuesday 11 February 2025 17:40
,
Tara Cobham
Downing Street said the issue of changes to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill were a matter for Parliament.
Asked if the Government had any input into the proposed changes, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We’ve said as the Bill progresses through Parliament, the Government has a responsibility to make sure any legislation that passes through Parliament is effective and enforceable.
“So the Government has provided legal policy and drafting support in the preparation of amendments.
“The amendments seek to give legal and practical effect to the sponsors and Parliament’s attempts, but ultimately it remains a Private Member’s Bill and amendments from the sponsor are a matter for MPs and it will be up to the committee to decide whether to accept each amendment.”
Watch: UK can ‘cuddle’ EU and US at the same time amid Trump tariff threats, minister says
Tuesday 11 February 2025 17:20
,
Tara Cobham
UK announces sanctions against Russian cyber crime network
Tuesday 11 February 2025 17:00
,
Tara Cobham
The UK has brought sanctions against a Russian organisation facilitating cyber attacks, as David Lammy pledged to crack down on “Russia’s lawless cyber underworld”.
Ministers have announced measures against six individuals as well as the firms ZSERVERS and XHOST Internet Solutions LP. Sanctions have also been announced by the US.
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) described ZSERVERS as providing infrastructure for cyber criminals carrying out ransomware attacks against the UK.
A ransomware attack is when bad actors breach a system and access files, usually either stealing them or locking them on that system. Payment will then be demanded – often in cryptocurrency – under the guise of the files being released, although this is not always guaranteed.
Security minister Dan Jarvis has described ransomware “by Russian affiliated cyber crime gangs” as “some of the most harmful cyber threats we face today”.
Foreign secretary Mr Lammy said that ministers will work with others to “constrain the Kremlin”.
HIV prevention programme extended to March 2026, says health minister
Tuesday 11 February 2025 16:40
,
Tara Cobham
The HIV prevention programme will be extended to March 2026, as part of plans to end transmissions in England by 2030, a health minister has said.
The expansion is being backed by an extra £1.5 million in funding, newly-appointed minister Ashley Dalton told the Commons.
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer became the first Western prime minister to take a public HIV test, in an effort to destigmatise testing for the virus.
Ahead of HIV Testing Week, which started on Monday, the Prime Minister took an at-home test at 10 Downing Street alongside soul singer Beverley Knight.
He said: “It’s really important to do it and I’m really pleased to be able to do it. It’s very easy, very quick.”
In a bid to boost HIV testing, more than 20,000 self-testing and self-sampling kits will also be made available, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
During health questions on Tuesday, Labour MP Matthew Patrick (Wirral West) asked: “Could (the Health Secretary) please set out his plans to ensure we have more HIV testing going beyond this important week?”
Ms Dalton replied: “Increasing HIV testing is a vital step towards meeting our goal, and will be a core element of our new HIV action plan, which will be published later this year.
“It’s why we are investing over £4.5 million to deliver a national prevention programme, and it’s why, today, I can announce that we will extend the programme to a further year, to March 2026, backed by an extra £1.5 million.”
‘Highest level’ of security given to wind farms, No 10 says, amid China worries
Tuesday 11 February 2025 16:20
,
Tara Cobham
Wind farms are subject to the “highest levels of national security”, Downing Street has stressed, amid reports ministers could sign off on Chinese involvement in a major North Sea project.
Treasury ministers are said to have overruled objections from the Ministry of Defence and others about the involvement of a Chinese firm in the Green Volt North Sea wind farm, according to the Sun newspaper.
The project, due to be Europe’s largest floating offshore wind farm, is joint venture between a Japanese and an Italian-Norwegian company.
Read more here:
UK appears not to have signed leaders’ declaration at AI summit
Tuesday 11 February 2025 16:00
,
Tara Cobham
The UK appears not to have signed a leaders’ declaration at the climax of the AI Action Summit in Paris.
There had been reports that the UK would not sign the declaration after the US reportedly raised concerns about the wording, which is said to include references to “sustainable and inclusive AI”.
Downing Street would not comment on “live” discussions in Paris as reports from the summit indicated the UK and US refused to back the statement.
Read the full story here:
First MPs U-turn on support for assisted dying bill after High Court judge safeguard removed
Tuesday 11 February 2025 15:40
,
Political editor David Maddox
MPs who previously supported the assisted dying bill have announced that they will change their vote after a major safeguard was ditched in the proposed legislation.
It comes as Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the historic bill, today announced her intention to get rid of the much vaunted safeguard of a High Court judge having the final say in court on an application.
Ms Leadbeater now wants to replace that stage with a commission made up of psychiatrists and social workers who would be involved in approving applications.
Political editor David Maddox reports:
Downing St declines to say whether Trump is wrong to impose tariffs
Tuesday 11 February 2025 15:20
,
Tara Cobham
Downing Street declined to say whether Donald Trump is wrong to impose 25 per cent tariffs on British steel exports.
Asked if the US President’s decision was wrong, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman replied: “We will take a considered approach to this. We will engage with the US on the detail, but the Government is clear we will work in our national interest and this issue is no different to that.”
The spokesman said he was not going to “get ahead of those conversations with industry” when asked if the UK was prepared to enact retaliatory tariffs.
No 10 would not reveal if discussions with the US involved the UK asking Mr Trump’s Government to exclude Britain from the tariffs, and would not say if subsidies for the company British Steel could be introduced.
He added: “We’ve already provided significant support to the UK steel industry: £2.5 billion of investment in the sector, we are bringing forward a British industry supercharger which is cutting electricity costs for steel firms and bringing prices in line with international competitors.”
Shadow trade minister warns UK steel industry is in 'great peril'
Tuesday 11 February 2025 15:00
,
Tara Cobham
A shadow trade minister has called this moment one of “great peril” for the UK steel industry, accusing the government of failing to engage “with gusto” with the new US administration.
Dame Harriett Baldwin told the Commons: “The United States is our greatest ally and our greatest single trading partner. The UK and the United States are the biggest investors in each other’s economies and yet this is a moment of great peril for the UK steel industry because the Government has failed to engage with gusto with the new US administration.
“The Prime Minister, despite his many airmiles, has not got on a flight to the States at the first possible opportunity and years of student politic-style insults hurled at the president by the frontbench opposite have put our relationship in jeopardy – and that’s before the embarrassment of the Chagos Islands shows that we have terrible negotiators running the country.”
Dame Harriett pressed the Government on work to secure a trade deal with the US, saying: “Much of the work was done by his department the last time President Trump was in the White House so will the minister finally set out to this House what plans the Government has to obtain a big, beautiful free trade agreement with the United States?”
Trade minister Douglas Alexander replied: “First, on the big, beautiful deal that they contemplated and abjectly failed to secure, I would simply observe that that was one of a whole number of trade deals that they boast about but abjectly failed to deliver.”
On engagement with US officials, Mr Alexander noted the relevant representatives have yet to be confirmed in their positions and said the UK “stands ready to have an engagement with the incoming administration once we’re in a position to do so”.
British industry should avoid 'knee-jerk' reaction to US tariffs, warns trade minister
Tuesday 11 February 2025 14:40
,
Tara Cobham
Trade minister Douglas Alexander said British industry needs a “cool and clear-headed” response rather than a “knee-jerk” reaction to moves by the United States to impose 25 per cent tariffs on British steel exports.
Responding to an urgent question, Mr Alexander told the Commons: “We have seen the proclamation issued by President Trump overnight which enforces a full return to 25 per cent tariffs on US steel imports on March 12 2025.
“Only details on steel have so far been published by the United States, not on aluminium. The intended effect of this proclamation is to revoke existing arrangements that have avoided these tariffs, such as the UK-US resolution, as well as any separately agreed product exclusions from the tariffs.
“What British industry needs and deserves is not a knee-jerk reaction but a cool and clear-headed sense of the UK’s national interest based on a full assessment of all the implications of the US’s actions.”
UK 'stands ready' to find solutions that work for both countries, says trade minister
Tuesday 11 February 2025 14:20
,
Tara Cobham
Trade minister Douglas Alexander said the UK “stands ready” to find solutions that work for both countries.
He said meetings will be held with representatives of the steel industry and trade union on Tuesday afternoon, adding in the Commons: “The Secretary of State for Business and Trade is in touch with representatives of the British steel industry and will be meeting them within the next 24 hours.
“Since July we have engaged in a systematic way with the UK steel sector and we will continue to engage with UK industries impacted by potential tariffs.
“Historically we’ve benefited from a strong and balanced trade relationship with the United States worth around £300 billion and supporting millions of jobs, so in trade policy we stand ready to work with President Trump to find solutions that work for both the United Kingdom and the United States.”
Badenoch rules out pact with Reform
Tuesday 11 February 2025 14:01
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Tara Cobham
Kemi Badenoch has ruled out the prospect of an electoral pact with Reform UK, as Nigel Farage’s party tops a number of national polls and surpasses 200,000 members.
The Conservative party leader called the idea of striking a deal one “for the birds”, warning Reform would drive away Tory voters who did not want to see her “get into bed” with Farage.
Analysis: Is the special relationship with the US really ‘very good’, as No 10 claims?
Tuesday 11 February 2025 13:37
,
Whitehall editor Kate Devlin
Every morning, Keir Starmer wakes up to discover if Donald Trump has put another potential bomb under the already faltering UK economy.
On Monday he had – with the announcement that he would impose tariffs of 25 per cent on steel imports.
The British steel industry has since called for action to mitigate what could be a “devastating blow”.
A global trade war could also see an influx of cheaper imports that could put British suppliers out of business.
At the same time the PM has come under sustained fire from the President’s ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk, including on Monday over the UK government’s attitude to the data of Apple users.
And, as The Independent revealed last month, President Trump was even considering rejecting our new man in Washington Peter Mandelson.
In this context, the description of the special relationship as “very good”, while clearly an attempt at diplomacy, could be described as a statement of hope rather than expectation.
UK government claims US special relationship ‘very good’ despite Trump's tariffs
Tuesday 11 February 2025 13:22
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Whitehall editor Kate Devlin
The UK government has claimed Britain’s special relationship with the US is “very good” despite Donald Trump’s announcement of global tariffs in his latest move in an escalating trade war.
As the new US president’s 25 per cent tariff on steel is set to hit the UK, a Downing Street spokesperson told reporters today: “We fully expect that relationship to continue to go from strength to strength.”
When asked how the special relationship would now be characterised, they said: “The special relationship, it's very good. We have a wide range of areas where we’re working closely with the United States and the prime minister's had very good early engagement with President Trump.”
What changes are being made to the assisted dying bill?
Tuesday 11 February 2025 13:00
,
Tara Cobham
Newly proposed changes to the assisted dying bill have caused controversy as MPs weigh up whether they will continue supporting the legislation at the final vote.
Put forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who tabled the original bill, the changes would reform a major safeguarding measure that was included in the original version.
Ms Leadbeater says her amendment would make the bill “even more robust,” but others have responded critically. Veteran member Diane Abbott, a vocal opponent of the legislation, wrote on X: “Safeguards on the Assisted Dying Bill are collapsing. Rushed, badly thought-out legislation. Needs to be voted down.”
Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron added: “Lots of MPs voted for the bill at second reading in the expectation that there would be stronger safeguards added at committee stage and yet we now see that even the weak safeguards that existed, are being dropped.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the changes:
Leadbeater indicates assisted dying amendment requiring psychiatrist
Tuesday 11 February 2025 12:40
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Tara Cobham
Kim Leadbeater has indicated she would support an amendment to her assisted dying Bill requiring a psychiatrist to be involved in some cases.
Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse has proposed changing the Bill to require an assessment by a psychiatrist if there is concern someone “may be seeking assistance to end their own life due to an impairment of judgment arising from a mental disorder or other condition”.
Currently, the Bill includes the option of doctors referring such a patient to a psychiatrist, but it is not mandatory.
During a committee debate on the Bill, Ms Leadbeater said: “That’s an amendment I would like to support and I hope the Bill committee support it.”
Danny Kruger, one of the leading opponents of the Bill, said: “Well for the first time so far in the course of this debate, we have a strengthening of the Bill from the honourable member, so that’s great news, we can chalk that up as a victory.”
Labour officials ‘told about WhatsApp group before it became public’
Tuesday 11 February 2025 12:20
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Tara Cobham
Labour officials were repeatedly warned about a WhatsApp group containing offensive messages made by a former minister before they were made public, it has been claimed.
Gerald Cooney, the former Labour leader of Tameside council in Greater Manchester, said he raised concerns about Andrew Gwynne’s remarks several times in the past year.
Labour sources said no formal complaint had been received about the WhatsApp group.
Read the full story here:
Sue Gray to take seat in Lords months after leaving heart of Government
Tuesday 11 February 2025 12:00
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Tara Cobham
Sue Gray, the “partygate” investigator who went on to become Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, will take her seat in the Lords on Tuesday four months after leaving the heart of Government.
The former senior civil servant was among 30 new Labour peers who were announced last December by Downing Street as it seeks to rebalance Parliament’s unelected second chamber.
Six appointments from the Tories, including Liz Truss’s former deputy prime minister Dame Therese Coffey, and two from the Liberal Democrats were also confirmed.
Ms Gray will be introduced to the House as Baroness Gray of Tottenham alongside Baroness Cash, a Conservative nomination.
Ms Gray went from an influential but little-known arbiter of conduct in Government to a household name when she took on the probe into Covid rule-breaking at Boris Johnson’s Number 10 in 2021.
She stepped in to lead the investigation after then-cabinet secretary Simon Case, her boss, recused himself following allegations that his own office held a Christmas event amid a lockdown.
Civil service impartiality was later thrown into question amid Tory criticism of her move to quit the Cabinet Office after decades in Whitehall and join Labour as Sir Keir’s chief of staff.
Scrutiny of her new role mounted after the party won the election, with leaked disclosures that the 67-year-old earned more than the Prime Minister and reports of a power struggle in Downing Street between her and other aides.
After weeks of negative briefings against her, Ms Gray announced her resignation in October in a statement citing concerns that she was “becoming a distraction” to the work of Government.
Starmer under pressure to secure US trade deal after Trump suggests Australia could avoid 25% steel tariffs
Tuesday 11 February 2025 11:41
Sir Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure to secure a deal with Donald Trump after the US president said he could exempt Australia from punishing tariffs on steel.
The US president triggered panic over the future of Britain’s fragile industry on Monday when he announced a worldwide 25 per cent tariff on steel imports.
Mr Trump has hailed the move and claimed it is “the beginning of making America rich again”.
The Independent’s whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Reform leads poll suggesting party would win election if held tomorrow
Tuesday 11 February 2025 11:15
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Tara Cobham
Reform UK is leading the polls suggesting that Nigel Farage’s party would win if a general election was held tomorrow, according to YouGov’s latest survey of voters.
The pollsters’ most recent voting intention poll, taken on Sunday and Monday, has Reform UK on their highest figure to date.
The party is leading the survey at 26 per cent, up one percentage point on the previous week.
Meanwhile, Labour follows closely behind at 25 per cent of voters, also up one percentage point on last week.
The poll reveals the Conservatives are in next at 21 per cent, followed by the Liberal Democrats at 14 per cent, Greens at nine per cent, and the SNP and at three per cent – all of which are the same as the previous week.
Our latest voting intention poll (9-10 Feb) has Reform UK on their highest figure to date
— YouGov (@YouGov) February 11, 2025
Reform: 26% (+1 from 2-3 Feb)
Lab: 25% (+1)
Con: 21% (=)
Lib Dem: 14% (=)
Green: 9% (=)
SNP: 3% (=) pic.twitter.com/MEebuI2tNw
In pictures: Ashley Dalton joins health ministerial team amid WhatsApp scandal
Tuesday 11 February 2025 11:00
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Tara Cobham
EU considers stronger trade ties with Gulf countries
Tuesday 11 February 2025 10:42
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Tara Cobham
The EU is looking into the possibility of stronger trade ties with Gulf countries, the trade commissioner of the bloc has said.
Maroš Šefčovič’s disclosure comes after Donald Trump announced global tariffs in an escalating trade war.
Leadbeater insists assisted dying bill will be strengthened by new process
Tuesday 11 February 2025 10:40
,
Tara Cobham
The assisted dying bill will be strengthened by plans to introduce an expert panel into the process, the MP sponsoring the law change has said.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater is expected to bring forward amendments for a so-called “judge plus” system which will see a panel including psychiatrists and social workers involved in approving assisted dying applications, after hearing concerns during expert evidence sessions last month.
Ms Leadbeater told BBC Breakfast she had received emails from people suggesting the addition was making the process more difficult, but added: “I would push back on that and say this has to be robust. This is a huge change, if it goes through and there is a change in the law.
“So I think by adding these extra safeguards, adding the extra multidisciplinary expertise, all headed by a High Court judge, that is a real improvement to the Bill.”
She added the experts would examine “the two key issues that keep coming up in this debate, the issue of assessing capacity and the issue of checking for coercion.”
Ms Leadbeater told the BBC: “By adding that extra expertise, I can only see that this is a strengthening of the Bill.”
Who is Ashley Dalton? Starmer appoints new health minister as WhatsApp row rocks Labour
Tuesday 11 February 2025 10:20
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Jabed Ahmed
The government has announc
