A catholic bishop in England has asked catholics to think seriously about the issue of assisted suicide and euthanasia before they vote in the general election.

Bishop Mark Davies from the Diocese of Shrewsbury has issued a letter to his congregation asking them to consider the most vulnerable when they enter the ballot box.

The general election will take place on July 4th.

In a statement, Davies referred indirectly to Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party: “At least one party leader has indicated he will proactively make parliamentary time available for a change in the law to be considered that will remove many of the legal safeguards which have long protected some of the most vulnerable members of our society.”

“Amid the many questions of policy being considered in the weeks ahead, this must surely be a central issue,” he went on to say.

Davies referred to the legalisation of assisted dying as further advancing the “culture of death,” which, he said, posed a serious threat to the elderly, children, and the mentally ill.

catholicnewsagency.com reported that he went on to write:  “The sanctity of human life transcends party politics because it impacts upon the moral foundations of our life together.”

At the moment, assisted suicide is illegal in England and Wales and is a punishable for up to 14 years in prison.  In Scotland there's no specific offence of assisted suicide though euthanasia is illegal and can be prosecuted.

The campaign to legalise it in the UK gained traction after That's Life! presenter and campaigner Esther Rantzen announced she had joined Dignitas last year and might end her life there following her cancer diagnosis.

Assisted dying is legal in Switzerland where the Dignitas clinic is based and has been decriminalised in The Netherlands, Spain and Belgium.

Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer has said there are "grounds for changing the law" on assisted dying that he would put to a free vote if elected Prime Minister.