HOME Secretary David Blunkett has given a boost to Lydiard euthanasia campaigner Lord Joffe by saying he is "persuadable" on the issue.
Mr Blunkett said that he could throw his weight behind calls for euthanasia to be legalised for terminally ill patients if tough safeguards could be built into legislation.
The Home Secretary's surprise comments came days after the House of Lords voted to conduct a detailed inquiry into changing the law to allow "mercy killings".
That investigation was launched in direct response to a campaign by Lord Joffe who has formally taken steps to change the law.
Mr Blunkett said: "I will be very interested to see what the Lords come up with. Person-ally, I have not been in favour, but I am persuadable."
Lord Joffe, a human rights lawyer who defended Nelson Mandela in the 1960s, has insisted that 80 per cent of British people support assisted suicides.
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