A bitter new Labour war of words erupted over the role of religion in legalizing assisted dying, with senior MP Rachael Maskell condemning Lord Falconer for suggesting justice secretary Shabana Mahmood opposed the law change due to her Muslim faith. Maskell demanded an apology for Falconer’s “offensive and discriminatory” comments, while former health minister Ben Bradshaw criticized Church of England bishops for being “out of step” on the issue. Falconer argued that cabinet ministers should not impose their religious beliefs on others in their objections to assisted dying, acknowledging Mahmood’s opposition based on her religious beliefs.
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No 10 ‘considers U-Turn on PIP disability benefits freeze’
Ministers are considering dropping controversial plans to freeze some disability benefits, including Personal Independence Payments (PIP), to avoid a damaging vote in the Commons. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is set to announce reforms to the welfare system next week, with the government expected to announce billions of pounds worth of cuts, including the potential freezing of PIP benefits. However, this plan may be abandoned after facing strong opposition from Labour MPs and peers,...
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