An MP has reignited the debate over the death penalty in Britain by calling for a “legally binding referendum”, as a new poll shows a majority of the public now support bringing it back.

Addressing the House of Commons last week, Rupert Lowe, the former Reform UK MP who now sits as an independent, said voters should be able to decide if there are circumstances “where the guilt is so undeniable, crime is so monstrous, the evil so irredeemable” that capital punishment should be an option.

Keir Starmer responded that while violent crimes “should be condemned” and dealt with by the police and courts, “re-introducing the death penalty is not the answer to this”.

Recent decades have seen a “clear trend” away from capital punishment around the world, with “more than 70%” of countries having a

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