Watford MP asked how he will vote on assisted dying bill

Parliament will vote on Friday on whether to allow terminally ill people to choose to end their life - a practice commonly referred to as 'assisted dying'.

Introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, the outcome of the bill is unpredictable as MPs were given a 'free vote' on the topic - rather than them being expected to follow a party line.

Watford MP Matt Turmaine (Image: Watford Labour)

Watford MP Matt Turmaine confirmed he will take part in Friday's vote, but says he has not yet decided which way.

He said: “I have still not yet made up my mind how to vote on this important matter. I am assessing the evidence and asking question about scrutiny and parliamentary procedures."

To help him make his decision, the 55-year-old held a 'town hall' event last week to hear people's views on the issue.

Matt Turmaine at the panel meeting discussing the issue. (Image: Matt Turmaine MP)

The panel included speakers for and against, including Ashkan Sarmadi, from the Derby Road Baptist Church, Dr Kathy Myers from ‘Care Not Killing’ opposing the measure, and Eric Angus and Liz Reed from ‘Dignity in Dying’ supporting the law change. 

Mr Turmaine described it as a "very informative evening" and noted that this was the issue he has received the most correspondence on since being elected to Parliament in July.

He added: “I felt that it was my responsibility as a good and diligent constituency MP to provide the opportunity for people to have their say and their voices heard."

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A poll reported by the Sunday Times - which canvassed more than 17,000 people - suggested two-thirds of the public support the policy, while 13 per cent were against it and 22 per cent undecided.

YouGov's recent poll said 73 per cent of Britons believed that - in principle - assisted dying should be legal in the UK, compared to 13 per cent who disagreed.

If the bill becomes law, people will only be allowed to end their lives if they have less than six months to live, have the mental capacity to make the choice, and have been assessed by two independent doctors.

Friday's vote will be the first time Parliament considers the issue since 2015, when a previous attempt to change the law was rejected by MPs by a margin of 330 to 118.