Ahead of today’s vote in the House of Commons, Bishop John Keenan has urged MPs to consider the serious safeguarding concerns surrounding assisted suicide.

He said: “Illness, frailty, disability, dependence or fear must never lead society to conclude that some lives are no longer worth living.”

As Parliament considers legislation with irreversible consequences, the dignity and protection of those who may be particularly vulnerable to pressure, fear or a sense of being a burden must remain at the heart of the debate.