The Home Office minister Jess Phillip’s comments come as MPs gear up for the first vote in the Commons on changing the law on assisted dying in almost a decade
Jess Phillips gives her reasons for voting for assisted dying
Home Office minister Jess Phillips has said she will vote in favour of legalising assisted dying.
Just days before the first vote on the issue in almost a decade, the senior Labour MP said she had “experience of watching people die in pain”. Her comments came as another poll showed majority support – 65% – in favour of changing the law on assisted dying, with just 13% against.
The Bill – put forward by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater – proposes giving terminally ill adults with less than six months to live the power to shorten their deaths if they wish. Each case must be signed off by two doctors and a High Court judge.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Ms Phillips said: “The last time I was asked to vote on this nearly a decade ago I voted for assisted dying and I will do the same on Friday.”
Asked what had brought her to the decision, she replied: “I am a person that fundamentally believes in the right for people to make a choice about their bodies. I have been a campaigner in that space, well, for as long as I can remember. I have listened to my constituents – both for and against – looked at the Bill, and feel satisfied with the safeguards within it.
“But fundamentally like everyone else in the country, I have experience of this, I have experience of watching people die in pain, without dignity, without choice. I watched my mother die when I was in my twenties and in my family at the moment we are dealing with a terminal diagnosis and ensuring that our family and the children that are involved in that are as best prepared as they can be.
“Actually at the moment we only have one particular choice and that is to see out the pain.”
She also played down reports of Cabinet tensions over the highly sensitive issue after high profile figures including Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood made clear they will vote against the measure.
In a letter to constituents Mahmood warned the Bill – set to be put before MPs on Friday – would create a “slippery slope towards death on demand”. In comments reported over the weekend, the Justice Secretary said the Government should “protect and preserve life, not take it away”. She added: “The state should never offer death as a service.”
But Ms Phillips said on Monday: “I’m not concerned about how divisive this has been. I’ve lived through divisive – being elected when I was, and seeing many of the political binaries that I’ve lived through such as Brexit.”
She added: “The way that all sides in my constituency and in the national conversation that I have had has been exemplary, kind and understanding.
“Actually no it hasn’t been divisive. I’m standing in Shabana Mahmood’s constituency right now. She is my friend, as is Wes Streeting, I’ll almost certainly go for dinner with him this week. We fundamentally don’t agree on this – but there is no bad blood. What we all are is democrats, we believe in democracy, so we shall wait and see what happens on Friday.”