Equalities minister Bridget Phillipson has described US plans to execute a former army major by firing squad as "disturbing", after it emerged the event would be livestreamed.
The MP for Houghton and Sunderland South said the manner of execution is a decision for US President Donald Trump's administration, while outlining the UK's longstanding opposition to capital punishment.
Execution scheduled for December
The former army major is scheduled to be executed on December 3, following his conviction for murdering 13 people and wounding 32 others during a shooting at the Fort Hood military base in 2009. It marks the first military execution in over 65 years in the US.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed it would be "public", informing TV outlet Real America's Voice: "We'll make sure that people are able to watch it."
Minister's response
When questioned about the matter on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Ms Phillipson said she was "proud that our country did away with the death penalty a very, very long time ago".
The Labour Party chairwoman continued: "The view of the Government is always that we're repulsed to the death penalty, my personal view is that I'm opposed to the death penalty. And I find that rather disturbing, is my honest reaction."
When pressed further, she responded: "It's a matter for the US government. They are a close ally, does that mean that we support everything the US government does? No, but that's not for us to involve ourselves in what are ultimately questions of US domestic policy."
She added: "I'm a long-standing opponent of the death penalty. The Government – governments of all political persuasions actually – have had a long-standing commitment to not wanting to see the death penalty across the world. But in terms of how this is conducted, a matter for the US government."
Reform UK response
Reform UK's economic spokesman Robert Jenrick cautioned against an execution being turned into a spectacle when questioned about it at a press conference in Westminster on Friday.
He stated: "Ultimately it's a decision for them, isn't it? The crime was one of the most serious crimes, but it's a decision how they choose to do this. I don't think an execution should ever be a form of entertainment, but it's a choice for them how they conduct this."
