Archbishop of Canterbury to meet MP behind assisted dying bill

The archbishop of Canterbury is to meet the architect of a parliamentary bill to legalise assisted dying after he described a change in the law as dangerous.Kim Leadbeater, MP for Spen Valley, wrote to Justin Welby after he intervened in the debate over assisted dying. The archbishop said the MP’s private member’s bill would lead to a “slippery slope”, including a broadening of criteria and pressure on people to die prematurely.She proposed a meeting to discuss the issues. Lambeth Palace said it was trying to find a mutually convenient date.The terminally ill adults (end of life) bill was formally introduced in the House of Commons on Wednesday and will be debated on 29 November. MPs are to be given a free vote on the emotionally charged issue, meaning they can vote according to their conscience.Welby’s intervention was a sign of a potentially fractious national debate on end-of-life care over the coming weeks and months. In her letter, Leadbeater stressed the need to…