Focus on families, says MP behind assisted dying bill

The lawmaker behind legalizing assisted dying has urged politicians to focus on families affected by the “heartbreaking deaths” of some terminally ill people when deciding whether to support the measure.

MPs will have their first chance to debate and vote on Kim Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Principle Bill on Friday. Leadbeater said she expected the vote to be “very close.”

Three former Conservative prime ministers – Liz Truss, Boris Johnson and Theresa May – have now joined forces with former Labor Prime Minister Gordon Brown to oppose the plans.

Six MPs also proposed a “destructive amendment” aimed at preventing debate on the bill, even though it is unlikely to progress.

Anna Dixon, a Labor MP and co-signer of the amendment, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “We basically want time for a more detailed examination of this issue.”

She added that there had not yet been a public consultation or impact assessment.

Calling the amendment “disappointing”, Leadbeater said: “The public clearly wants this debate to take place and I think we have a responsibility as parliamentarians to ensure that this debate takes place.”

“I think the vote will be very close,” she added, because MPs were concerned “about the details” and the adoption of her bill at second reading would allow the debate to continue.

Responding to criticism that her bill would not receive sufficient parliamentary scrutiny, she noted that if the bill was approved in principle by MPs on Friday, there would still be “hours and hours” of debate. review over the next six months.

She also discussed previous parliamentary debates, such as the one in 2015, and the Westminster committee reports, and explained how society's attitudes towards death have changed over the past 10 years.

She added: “We talk a lot about process… but what I would really like to do in these final days of debate and discussion is talk about families,” she added. [of those] who die a horrible death.

“Dealing with people who commit suicide, dealing with people who have no other alternative than to go to another country to obtain an assisted death – if they can afford it. »

The MP said palliative care specialists told her they “can't meet everyone's needs”, which she said meant “there are people who take hours to die , days to die, traumatizing their loved ones.”

The government is treating the bill as a matter of conscience, meaning MPs will have a free vote rather than being whipped to follow a party line, making it difficult to predict the outcome of the vote.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously supported assisted dying, but did not say how he would vote on Friday.

He asked his cabinet not to campaign during the debate, but several ministers spoke out, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who opposed it.

There were also a series of high-profile interventions, with three former Conservative prime ministers declaring the telegraph They oppose plans that would legalize assisted dying in England and Wales.

Liz Truss said “the justice system should protect lives, not end them” and that “vulnerable people would be under appalling pressure to end their lives early”.

The BBC understands Baroness Theresa May and Boris Johnson are also opposed to the bill, which would allow terminally ill adults who are expected to die within six months to seek help to end their lives.

Supporters of the bill say it has strong safeguards to prevent coercion and would give people a choice in how they die to avoid unnecessary suffering.

The three former Prime Ministers are no longer MPs and will therefore not get a vote this week. However, Baroness May is a member of the House of Lords, so she would have the opportunity to vote on the bill if it is approved by MPs and progresses to the second chamber.

It comes after former Labor Prime Minister Gordon Brown also stated his opposition to the legislation last weeksaying his daughter's death convinced him of “the imperative for good end-of-life care.”

Instead, he called for the creation of a commission to examine ways to improve palliative care.

End of life care was also raised during Prime Minister's Questions by Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who called on Sir Keir Starmer to protect funding for palliative care services, raising the case for one of his constituents, Christine, whose father lost hospice care due to funding cuts.

Davey said: “He died a few weeks later in excruciating pain. Christine said it was terrible to see him in pain.”

The Prime Minister responded that the Government was putting in place a 10-year plan to fix the NHS, and highlighted the debate on the Terminally Ill (End of Life) Bill on Friday.

He said: “Whatever direction this vote takes, we need to invest properly in healthcare within our health service… to ensure the NHS can provide the care that everyone needs. expects across the spectrum, including end-of-life care.”