The White House has accused Britain of “state-sponsored suicide” over the passage of the Assisted Dying Bill. The US state department criticised parliament for passing the bill, which will make it legal for terminally ill people to end their lives.

Peers would be on dicey political ground if they tried to stop the bill passed by MPs – but they may run into problems over timing.

Proponents of the bill argued that those with a terminal diagnosis must be given a choice at the end of their lives to relieve their suffering.