Assisted Dying Bill Requires Compassion and Careful Consideration

I am extremely grateful to everyone who has taken the time to write to me about the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The experiences, views, and reflections you have shared with me have been heartfelt, thoughtful, and deeply moving. It is clear this is an incredibly personal and complex issue, and I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this important conversation.

I have heard from people on all sides of the debate – those who believe strongly in offering individuals more choice at the end of life, and others who are deeply concerned about how changing the law could affect vulnerable people. I have taken all of these views seriously and continue to reflect on them carefully. I will bear all of this in mind as I listen to the Third Reading debate and finally decide how to vote.

Some constituents have raised specific concerns about the Bill, which I want to clarify. Firstly, if the Bill is passed, the legislation would apply only to Terminally Ill Adults, as in the title, it could not be extended beyond that group without having to come back to Parliament with a new Bill. I do recognise, though, that determining how long someone with a terminal diagnosis is likely to live is not easy.

Secondly, this Bill has had considerably more time for scrutiny and debate in the House than many other proposed pieces of major legislation. It is not true to say it has been rushed through or that discussion has been curtailed. There have also been many opportunities for MPs to meet various interest groups, both those in favour and those opposed to the Bill, to hear what they have to say. 

I’d like to reassure all my constituents that I am taking the responsibility of voting on this Bill extremely seriously. I know that this will alter our society and that many people will never be able to reconcile its provisions with their deeply held convictions. I will be going into the Third Reading as well-informed as I can be, and I will listen carefully to all the arguments, particularly those that concern the safeguards to be put in place to protect vulnerable people.

I will vote according to my conscience and in the full knowledge that, to my great regret, many of my constituents will believe I have made the wrong decision. I hope that if you cannot agree with me, you will at least accept that I have done my utmost to consider all points of view and that I will have made my final decision in good faith. 

Thank you again to everyone who has contacted me about this. Whether you support or oppose the Bill, please know that your voice matters.