Most West Yorkshire MPs have not yet declared which way they intend to vote on assisted dying bill
Ahead of a historic vote tomorrow that could lead to the law on assisted dying being changed most MPs in West Yorkshire have not publicly indicated which way they intend to sway.
The bill was brought by Spen Valley MP Kim Leadbeater, who has campaigned for a change in the law.
Her fellow North Kirklees MP Iqbal Mohamed, who represents Dewsbury and Batley as an independent, has not publicly confirmed his position.
Similarly Halifax’s Kate Dearden has not yet confirmed.
Calder Valley’s Josh Fenton-Glynn said he is undecided and will listen to arguments in the House of Commons debate.
Wakefield and Rothwell MP Simon Lightwood, Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley MP Yvette Cooper, and Ossett and Denby Dale MP Jade Botterill have not confirmed.
Though he was undecided, Mr Fenton-Glynn expanded on his position.
He said: “Before I was elected I was confident that I would vote for such a bill, however given the importance of the legislation I have taken time to understand the issues surrounding the bill I have listened to voices on both sides of the debate.
"I know that any decision I make will lead to either people dying an unnecessarily painful death, or will lead to some number of people being in a position where they could be subject to coercion from family members or those in the medical community.
"The question for me when assessing the safeguards is, to what extent safeguards limit the latter. Obviously no bill can guard against that entirely.
“If the bill does pass second reading I am going to try to hold some constituency events to discuss public views between then and the third reading.”
He said he understood that not being able to give a clear answer may be frustrating to his constituents.
At an event at the Healds Hall hotel in Liversedge, Ms Leadbeater met supporters of the bill from across Yorkshire.
She said: "I will fight for the rights of disabled people as well, but what I won’t do is to ignore the rights of dying people.
“We’ve drafted a very, very robust bill.
"It is probably the strongest piece of legislation anywhere in the world."