MPs brace for vote on life-and-death legislation

MPs are preparing to vote on a groundbreaking Private Members’ Bill that could legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales.

Spearheaded by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill proposes to grant individuals with terminal illnesses the right to end their lives at a time and manner of their choosing, under specific safeguards.

The bill stipulates that the person must have the mental capacity to make a choice about the end of their life, and must express a “clear, settled and informed” wish, free from coercion or pressure.

The bill excludes disability and mental illness as eligibility criteria. If it eventually becomes law, only permanent residents of England and Wales registered with a GP for at least 12 months will be eligible.

The life-ending medication must be administered by the patient and cannot be administered by a health professional or anyone else.

With Friday’s vote imminent, several MPs have shared their perspectives, revealing the depth of the emotional and ethical arguments surrounding this contentious issue.

Caroline Voaden, MP for South Devon said: “The debate to legalise assisted dying is a complicated and highly emotive issue and people, understandably, have deep feelings about it. I’ve been reading every letter about this topic very carefully and taking everyone’s views on board, and, so far, the weight of feeling I’ve received from my constituents is in favour of providing terminally ill people with a six-month diagnosis the choice to end their life.

““This is also my view as well. This is not a decision I’ve taken lightly, but after taking all opportunities available to read background information on this subject, attend briefings, and listen to experts on both sides of the debate, I have decided to vote for the Bill to legalise assisted dying at second reading this week, which will give us the chance to further scrutinise it in Parliament.

“Fundamentally, for me, this Bill is about giving people who already know they are dying a choice the end of their life, and I support this.

“But offering this choice does not take away from the fact that we also need to see significant improvements in our health service, particularly around end-of-life care, which, at the moment, is a postcode lottery, with rural areas like South Devon receiving far less funding than places like London.

“Addressing this geographical inequality and increasing funding for palliative care is a must if we are to give those suffering from terminal illnesses a genuine choice, so no one is in a situation where they cannot get the care they need or feel they are a burden and believe they have little option but to end their life.”

Andrew George said: “Prior to its first stage consideration (known in Parliament as ‘Second Reading’), I’ve been holding and attending meetings with proponents, opponents, medical and legal experts, consulting and reading widely and studying the detail of what is a carefully constructed Bill.

“I have, in principle, been supportive of legislation which would permit terminally ill people (who are competent to do so) to have the power to themselves decide when and how they die, at the very end-of-life, and in a manner which protects them from avoidable suffering and indignity. Of course, as well as having the freedom to make such a choice, our NHS must equally ensure people are offered, and have full access to, the best palliative treatment and end-of-life care.

“I'll finally decide once I have completed my study, consultation and review, especially in respect of the robustness of the law and the clinical judgements required to underpin its operation. Opponents contend such a law would place unacceptable pressure on vulnerable patients, or patients during a period of vulnerability. I’m not convinced this would be the case, but will follow the debate and keep an open mind.

“The vote this week doesn’t bring the Bill into law. It just permits it to proceed to detailed scrutiny at Committee and Report stages. This could prove to be a prolonged process. As a member of the Commons Health Select Committee I will maintain a close watching brief on the bill. Once all stages are complete, there will be a final vote (on the Third Reading). It is not unusual for some MPs who vote to permit a Bill to proceed to Committee stage, to vote against at Third Reading, after having the full opportunity to reflect on all matters. MPs often support bills at Second Reading, even if they have reservations about specific details, and which they feel can be ironed out during the remaining stages of the Bill.

“I suspect Third Reading will be late spring next year.

“I also want to ensure individual Health and Care workers are able to maintain their right to choose not to take part in assisted dying procedures if they felt it was at odds with their own personal ethical standpoint.

“I am grateful to the hundreds of people who have contacted or spoken to me on this matter. I will continue to consider the matter with care before deciding how to vote on Friday.”