Former prime ministers Boris Johnson, Theresa May and Liz Truss oppose assisted dying law ahead of crucial Commons vote – as it is claimed the bill will be blocked by judges anyway European

Former prime ministers Boris Johnson, Theresa May and Liz Truss are all opposed to assisted dying laws, it has been revealed.

Ahead of the crucial House of Commons vote on Friday, all three former prime ministers reportedly opposed the bill.

MPs are expected to consider the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at the end of this week, which aims to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales.

It was introduced to Parliament as a private member's bill by Labor MP Kim Leadbeater and will see MPs vote on the issue for the first time since 2015.

But there has been growing opposition to the bill from politicians, religious leaders and health and legal experts.

A former minister also warned that even if the legislation passed Parliament it would breach the European Convention on Human Rights.

Dominic Grieve, the former Conservative MP who served as attorney general between 2010 and 2014, suggested that Strasbourg-based judges would be likely to block the bill.

According to him, this is because it failed to provide “adequate and appropriate safeguards to protect patients against pressure and abuse”.

“No government respecting the rule of law would have introduced this particular bill,” Mr. Grieve wrote in The times.

Gordon Brown, the former Labor prime minister, has also voiced his opposition to the bill, insisting that better end-of-life care is needed instead of assisted dying.

Veteran journalist Dame Esther Rantzen urged “as many MPs as possible” to attend Friday’s debate and listen to arguments from both sides.

Dominic Grieve, the former Conservative MP who served as attorney general between 2010 and 2014, suggested that Strasbourg-based judges would be likely to block the bill.

The government has taken a neutral stance ahead of Friday's debate and MPs have a “free vote”, meaning party whips will not tell them how to vote.

But divisions have arisen within the Labor Party after senior ministers revealed they would vote against the bill.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will not comment on the bill before Friday's vote because he does not want to “put pressure on other people”.

But four former occupants of No 10 are opposed to the bill.

Baroness May is expected to vote against the bill if it reaches the House of Lords.

Sources close to the former Prime Minister told the Telegraphher opposition to assisted dying legislation has not changed since she voted against it in 2015.

Ms Truss told the newspaper she was “totally opposed” to the bill.

“This is wrong in principle: state bodies like the NHS and the justice system should be protecting lives, not ending them,” she said.

“There is no doubt that, as we have seen in Canada, vulnerable people would be under appalling pressure to end their lives prematurely.

“The law would be ripe for exploitation by unscrupulous people. MPs should reject this terrible bill and instead focus on improving health services.

It was also reported that Mr Johnson would not support the bill as it currently stands.

Gordon Brown, the former Labor prime minister, has also voiced his opposition to the bill, insisting that better end-of-life care is needed instead of assisted dying.

Ms Leadbeater today defended the level of scrutiny her bill is receiving in Parliament.

There is expected to be a five-hour debate Friday with a vote expected at the end on whether it should go to committee for consideration.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “The private member's bill route is absolutely the right route to getting this legislation through.

“This means that there can be a free vote of all MPs. This is not a government bill.

Dame Esther Rantzen urged “as many MPs as possible” to attend Friday’s debate and listen to arguments from both sides to decide on assisted dying.

The broadcaster and founder of Childline, who is terminally ill, has been a high-profile voice in the conversation over the past year, repeatedly calling for change in what she described as the “cruel” current law “.

In an extract from a letter published by pro-change campaign group Dignity in Dying, Dame Esther said: “This is such a vital life and death issue, which we, the public, care about desperately.

“It is therefore normal that as many MPs as possible listen to the arguments for and against and form their own opinion, according to their own conscience, their thoughts and their personal feelings.”