The vote on the Private Member’s Bill proposing the UK introduce assisted dying was today, so I cancelled my usual constituency commitments to listen and vote in the debate.
The bill passed its Second Reading by 330 to 275, however, it won’t immediately become law – like any Bill it must now pass through all stages, including the House of Lords.
Thank you to the many constituents who got in touch to share their view. This was a very personal and thoughtful debate. The response from our area has been pretty much split 50-50, with a few more letters and emails against than in support.
As these measures have been introduced via a Private Member’s Bill, the Government has adopted a neutral position, and MPs from all sides of the House took their own views on the issue.
The Bill proposes assisted dying being available for people who have received a terminal diagnosis of less than six months to live, and who can make the conscious choice to opt to end their life in this way. A lot of people in favour have spoken to me about family members who suffered from dementia at the end of their life. I know this experience too: my grandmother had Alzheimer’s. It is important to clarify however that people in this position would not be eligible to take their own lives under the measures in this Bill, as they would not have due capacity to make the decision.
All sides agree on one thing: this will be a huge change. What is being proposed in the Bill today is itself very significant, but also in my view it is fairly certain if it goes through the scope will be extended in future. Instinctively I feel on a change of this magnitude you should be completely convinced it is the right thing to do. I have not been convinced of that case so could not support the bill.
This has been how I voted previously, and I have given this answer candidly every time I have been asked during the five General Elections I have stood in. However, I always engage in good faith when these issues come before Parliament. One argument I don’t recognise is that we should do something just because other countries have done so. This is about our country, our society, and that is how we should consider what is being proposed today.
I know some people very much do want the ability to end their own life in future. But one of the key questions for me has been this: under a situation where a person does qualify to end their own life under what is being proposed, but wants to do so because they feel a burden to their family rather than they are in acute pain, are we comfortable with that? Would the very existence of such a right risk creating an expectation that it should be exercised? Do we feel vulnerable people could definitely be protected? I feel in this instance the precautionary principle should apply.
Alongside that, I do not feel as a country we have the right level of palliative care, social care, hospice provision and other services to give people the right framework to make this decision.
Finally, what has been proposed is a very significant change for the NHS. The details in the Bill of how people would physically end their own lives leave me with a lot of questions, including how health services would be configured to provide the lethal drugs necessary to provide it.
Taking all of this onboard, I decided to vote against the Bill. Thank you for all your engagement on an issue of such fundamental significance.