By Coby Saxby
The UK Parliament has introduced a bill debating a proposal to grant the terminally ill a right to choose whether to end their life with assistance provided, following in the footsteps of Switzerland, parts of the United States and Commonwealth member Canada. With the Assisted Dying Bill, officially named the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, scheduled for debate on Friday 29th November 2024, many famous figures across British society are already making their voices known whether it be in support or in opposition to the legalisation of assisted dying. So, why is this Bill so important and so controversial, and why should we lend the Bill our support?
The Assisted Dying Bill is not the first attempt at legalising assisted suicide, with a previous attempt in 2015 failing in the House of Commons by 330:118 votes. However, in the almost 10 years that have passed, both British politics and the social norms of the wider public have shifted radically on many issues. The issue is hardly new to the public eye either, with the idea of “suicide tourism” from Britain to the Dignitas Clinic in Switzerland often garnering media attention and public discourse.
With a statement from famous TV broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen stating her intention to receive assistance to die at Dignitas if her cancer treatment failed, the assisted dying debate once again became a key social issue, resulting in a petition that would gain 200k votes. With a guarantee from now-PM Sir Keir Starmer in late 2023 that MPs would be permitted to have a free vote on assisted dying after the 2024 General Election, it was inevitable that this debate was coming.
But how do politicians and the wider public actually see this bill? In the House of Commons, iNews polling suggested 54% support amongst MPs for the bill, with 35% opposed and the remaining MPs undecided or uncommitted. While there is clearly higher support for the Bill amongst Labour (114 support to 54 against) and the Liberal Democrats (46 support to 2 against) than the Conservatives (17 support to 53 against), the Bill is designed to be a vote on individual conscience and not on party lines. For example, two Labour cabinet ministers have already declared their opposition to the bill: Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
However, public polling shows a much less divided picture, with a poll by Opinium in March 2024 producing a “support” result of 75%, with only 14% expressing opposition to the legalisation of assisted dying. On the one hand, disabled rights campaign groups have raised the alarm over the perceived risk of exploitation, as it has become an issue in Canada due to the high rates of prescriptions for assisted suicide in the healthcare system. On the other hand, supporters of the Bill, including MP Kim Leadbeater who submitted the Bill, have highlighted the limitations that the Bill will place on the ability to receive assisted dying services, with only those who meet the criteria of being terminally ill and mentally competent (able to reliably consent to the decision) being able to access the proposed service.
While concerns over exploitation and the rights of disabled persons to live, as well as the religious grounds that many prominent religious authorities (including the Archbishop of Canterbury, who sits on the House of Lords), are undeniably important, the fact remains that the decision on whether to live rests with an individual. If they wish to die, one already have the options to do so – but these options are either dangerous out of the reach of many or too legally risky for the person’s relatives. It is simply not feasible with current laws for those approaching death to approach the end in a manner that is befitting to them, in a time and place of their choosing. In the words of Dame Esther Rantzen, pioneer of the current debate and the November Bill, “All I’m asking for is that we be given the dignity of choice." Everyone deserves the right to live; is it really fair that people do not have one last right granted to them if their only option is a slow, painful, and indignant death?
Image: FMT
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