The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is back in Parliament for a crucial vote tomorrow. With strong opposition and concerns over vulnerable people, the bill’s fate now hinges on MPs’ decisions – and we want to hear your views
Keir Starmer has indicated his support for the assisted dying bill ahead of tomorrow’s crucial vote – and we want to hear your thoughts on the debate.
It comes after the Prime Minister rejected calls from 52 Labour MPs requesting more time to scrutinise Kim Leadbeater’s backbench bill. It would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist.
In November, MPs voted by 330 to 275 in favour of legalising assisted dying, with Mr Starmer among those backing the proposal. The PM said his position on the highly sensitive issue “is long-standing and well-known” but he stressed it was a matter for individual MPs as the government remains neutral.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has since gone through line-by-line scrutiny in tense debates in the Commons chamber. It is expected MPs will hold a key vote on Friday which could either see the legislation progress to the House of Lords, or fall.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Starmer said: “It is a matter for individual parliamentarians, which is why I’ve not waded in with a view on this publicly, and I’m not going to now, it’s coming to a conclusion. There has been a lot of time discussing it, both in Parliament and beyond Parliament, and quite right too it’s a really serious issue. My own position is long-standing and well-known in relation to it, based on my experience when I was chief prosecutor for five years, where I oversaw every case that was investigated.”
Meanwhile, ex-Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged MPs to reject the Bill, saying it had “fundamental flaws”. He said: “It has become clear that whatever views people hold on the principle, passing the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) bill into law would privilege the legal right to assisted dying without guaranteeing anything approaching an equivalent right to high-quality palliative care for those close to death.”
Opposition campaigners are concerned that vulnerable people could be coerced or feel pressured into ending their lives. Critics have also raised fears it could divert focus from the stretched palliative care system. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who is leading efforts to change the law on assisted dying, says improving palliative care must be part of efforts to legalise assisted dying.
She had accepted arguments from worried MPs about unequal access to quality end of life care – and said better palliative care should not be at odds with help for terminally ill people to end their lives. She urged MPs to support an amendment by Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson, which would order the Health Secretary to commission a new assessment on the state of palliative care.
Ms Leadbeater, who made the call after meeting with end of life charity Marie Curie, hopes the move will ease fears that vulnerable patients without access to good quality palliative care could feel pressure to end their lives. Do you think assisted dying should be legalised in the UK? Take our poll below. If you can’t see it click here
Ms Leadbeater said: “I agree with Marie Curie that everything possible should be done to strengthen and extend the provision of palliative care services.
“I was happy to confirm in our meeting that I am fully committed to a holistic approach to end of life care and choice and that I am determined that if the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passes, it should be accompanied by improvements to palliative care in England and Wales, as has been the experience in other jurisdictions where assisted dying is already available as an option.”
She said palliative care did not need to be in competition with assisted dying. She added: “While I cannot pre-empt the decision of the Speaker about which amendments to select for debate, I would encourage colleagues in parliament to support this amendment, if and when it is put to a vote.”
Lib Dem MP Ms Wilson said: “Whatever side of the assisted dying debate people are on, hopefully we can all agree that we need to improve palliative care. You can’t have choice at the end of life dependent on where you live. If palliative care provision continues to be patchy and unequal then there is no choice.”
Marie Curie Chief Executive Matthew Reed said: “Major funding issues, workforce shortages, a postcode lottery for access to services, huge gaps in out of hours care and an aging population – palliative and end of life care in the UK is in crisis.”
He added: “Marie Curie is firmly neutral on the matter of assisted dying, but we are far from neutral on the urgent need to improve palliative and end of life care. And while on its own, this amendment would not guarantee any improvements to palliative and end of life care, understanding what provision is currently available, and where, is a crucial step towards the UK and Welsh governments taking action to ensure everyone who needs palliative care is able to access it.”
What do YOU think? Should assisted dying be legalised in the UK? Take our poll above and have your say in the comments below