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The full details of the End Of Life Bill are now known, and MPs and peers will have time to study its contents ahead of making one of their most important decisions.

We have not had societal change like this since the Abortion Act of 1967.

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater has done some exhaustive research in preparing her bill, which is due to be published on Tuesday.

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What is assisted dying?

It should go some way to allay fears around safeguarding the most vulnerable communities and to stop the “slippery slope” effect: when the bill identifies one particular cohort but is then changed – usually through legal challenges – to include more and more groups.

This is what has happened in other jurisdictions.

But the MP insists that only terminally ill patients with six months or less to live can qualify for an assisted death and that once passed, the bill cannot be changed or altered.

The application to die will only be allowed after being signed off by two independent doctors and a High Court judge.

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Leadbeater says it is the strictest safeguarding applied to assisted dying legislation anywhere in the world. That might help change the minds of some politicians who are still undecided.

However, the concerns around the further erosion in palliative care still exist.

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Even the Health Secretary Wes Streeting said this is why he opposes the move.

This is a huge intervention and one that could decide the bill’s fate.

Wes Streeting arrives in Downing Street.
Pic: PA
Image:
Health Secretary Wes Streeting will not support the bill. Pic: PA

Leadbeater makes a powerful argument when she says the two: good palliative care and the option for some terminally ill patients to end their own lives, can happen simultaneously.

Read more:
Ed Davey recalls ‘pain’ of looking after terminally ill mum as a child
Leadbeater says legally assisted dying won’t lead to ‘slippery slope’

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There is also some resistance from NHS staff who say the health service cannot cope with the extra burden. That is a valid concern that needs to be addressed.

It is a deeply complex and divisive issue, many people will have deep rooted opinions and will not be swayed by any argument in favour or against.

The rest now have an opportunity to study the detail and make up their own minds.

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Economy shock overshadows Reeves’ big day

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Economy shock overshadows Reeves' big day

Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics.

Rachel Reeves has said this morning that the latest figures showing the UK economy has shrunk by more than expected are “disappointing”. How much will this overshadow yesterday’s major spending announcement?

The chancellor has now planted Labour’s fiscal flag in the sand – and spending mistakes from here on in certainly cannot be blamed on their predecessors. How will Labour react to a potential internal revolt over disability benefit cuts? And how will the party manage the politics around expected tax rises in the autumn?

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Did ChatGPT get the spending review right? Treasury minister gives his verdict

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Did ChatGPT get the spending review right? Treasury minister gives his verdict

The chief secretary to the Treasury has called the Sky News-Chat GPT spending review projection “pretty good” and scored it 70%.

Darren Jones compared the real spending review, delivered by Rachel Reeves on Wednesday, and the Sky News AI (artificial intelligence) projection last week.

Sky News took the Treasury’s spring statement, past spending reviews, the ‘main estimates’ from the Treasury website, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ projections, and put them into ChatGPT, asking it to calculate the winners and losers in the spending review.

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This was done 10 days ahead of the review – before several departments had agreed their budgets with the Treasury – on the basis of projections based on those public documents. It also comes amid a big debate kicked off by Sky News about the level of error of AI.

The Sky News-AI projection correctly put defence and health as the biggest winners, the Foreign Office as the biggest loser, and identified many departments would lose out in real terms overall.

It suggested the education budget would be smaller than it turned out, but correctly highlighted the challenges for departments like the Home Office and environment.

More on Artificial Intelligence

Watch what happened with Sky’s AI-generated spending review

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AI writes the spending review

Reviewing the exercise, the author of the real spending review told Sky News that this pioneering use of AI was “pretty, pretty good”.

He added: “I could be out of a job next time in 2027, which to be honest, it’s not a bad idea given the process I’ve just had to go through.”

The Treasury made a number of accounting changes to so-called “mega projects” which AI could not have anticipated, and changed some of the numbers.

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Sky’s economics editor Ed Conway takes a look at the key takeaways from chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending review.

Asked to give it a score, Mr Jones replied: “I’m going to give it 70%.”

The spending review includes AI as a tool to save money in various government processes.

Asked if 70% accuracy is good enough for government, he replied: “Well we’re not using your AI. We’ve got our own AI, which is called HMT GPT, and it helps us pull together all the information across government to be able to make better, evidence-informed decisions.”

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DeFi Development to refile $1B Solana plan after SEC filing snag

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DeFi Development to refile B Solana plan after SEC filing snag

DeFi Development to refile B Solana plan after SEC filing snag

Formerly only a real estate financing company, DeFi Development Corp started buying Solana to become a Solana treasury company as well, currently holding over 609,000 tokens.

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