Assisted dying: The vote

Assisted dying: The vote

Author: Financial Times November 29, 2024 Duration: 38:46

MPs will vote on assisted dying this week for the first time in almost a decade. There are ramifications for the NHS, questions over legal oversight, and ethical considerations that all feed into this highly emotive and personal issue. And if the bill passes this hurdle, what will happen next on its journey through parliament? Host Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars George Parker and Stephen Bush, alongside the FT’s public policy correspondent Laura Hughes, to discuss the matter. The panel also examines Labour’s bid to get a grip on migration, plus the PM’s plans to reframe – or should that be reset? – his administration. 



Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, George @GeorgeWParker, Stephen @stephenkb and Laura @laura_k_hughes


Want more?  


England’s palliative care ‘postcode lottery’ casts shadow over assisted dying debate


Judges’ role in assisted dying bill criticised as ‘rubber stamping


Assisted dying would be funded ‘at expense of’ NHS services, warns Streeting


Net migration to the UK hit record 900,000 in 2023


‘It has been bumpy’: Keir Starmer reckons with plunging approval ratings 


Labour has a classic first act problem



Join Lucy Fisher, Peter Foster, Stephen Bush and Miranda Green for a Political Fix Live session on December 5, where they will assess Labour's record after five months in office as part of the FT's Global Boardroom online conference. The three-day event features high-level interviews on the big issues of the day and is being held on December 4-6. Register for your free pass at ft.com/tgb


Read the FT’s Best Politics Books of the Year 2024 list, curated by the FT’s chief foreign affairs commentator Gideon Rachman.



Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 ‘Best Newsletter’ award. 


Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Clare Williamson with Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. 


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Every Friday, the team behind Political Fix gathers to make sense of the week's political turbulence. This isn't just a recap of headlines; it's a deep, often lively conversation that pulls back the curtain on how decisions are really made in Westminster and beyond. You'll hear from the Financial Times journalists who are actually there, in the corridors and committee rooms, paired with expert voices who provide crucial context. Together, they untangle complex policy debates, analyse the shifting alliances, and question the strategies defining Britain's future. The result is a clear-eyed, authoritative look at the forces shaping the nation, delivered with the FT's signature rigor and insight. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining access to a private briefing, one that prioritizes substance over noise. It’s for anyone who wants to move past the soundbites and understand the real stories and personalities driving the political agenda. New episodes arrive weekly, offering a consistent and essential perspective on a landscape that never stops moving.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Political Fix
Podcast Episodes
The mess in the NHS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:42
England’s NHS is in a ‘critical and deteriorating condition’ - those are the words of Lord Darzi who investigated the state of the NHS for the new Labour government last year. In response, Starmer unveiled a ten year pla…
Starmer's superpower: soft power? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:53
Maga arrived in Chipping Norton this week, heralding an intense round of British diplomacy ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska on Friday. Ukraine is top of the agenda and both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and foreig…
Introducing Swamp Notes: The real cost of gutting USAID [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:04
Political Fix is on a break this week. In its absence, we're taking the opportunity to introduce you to its sister podcast, Swamp Notes, the weekly US politics podcast from the Financial Times. Six months after the Trump…
Why Starmer changed his mind about Palestinian statehood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:31
Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the UN General Assembly. The decision comes after some Labour MPs and cabinet ministers accused him of being too slow to respond to the G…
One year in opposition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:58
As MPs head back to their constituencies for the summer, the Political Fix panel reflects on the year in opposition for Kemi Badenoch and her Conservative party. Host George Parker is joined by Robert Shrimsley to discus…
The Afghan files: the inside story on the catastrophic leak [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:12
One of the gravest security lapses in UK history came to light this week after a judge lifted a superinjunction on a catastrophic data leak that could have affected 100,000 Afghans, as well as British spies and special f…
Resetting Franco-British relations: the cross-channel contract [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:23
Emmanuel Macron made his state visit to the UK this week – the first EU leader to do so since Brexit. It heralded a reset between France and Britain, dubbed the ‘entente amicale’ by King Charles. Macron and Starmer annou…
A year of Keir [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:29
This week marks a year of Keir Starmer’s government. But if Labour was expecting to celebrate the anniversary – it didn't pan out that way. Despite claiming a narrow victory with the contentious welfare bill, the governm…
Starmer’s welfare woes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:10
Sir Keir Starmer faced a huge rebellion from within his own party this week after scores of MPs opposed changes to make it tougher to collect some disability benefits. This episode — recorded just before the prime minist…
Starmer on standby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:10
Will he? Won’t he? President Donald Trump has given little indication as to whether America will join in the conflict between Israel and Iran. So where does this leave the UK and its assets in the region? How does the pr…