The Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has defended the assisted dying bill ahead of a parliamentary debate to be held on Friday. The legislation would allow some terminally ill people to medically receive life-ending assistance. Speaking to BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Kendall said that the bill was about “the right to choose.” She added that it would empower individuals by giving them “power, choice and control” over their own deaths. Kendall called the debate part of a “bigger” national discussion, as people “have longer deaths.”
While Kendall has been an advocate for assisted dying, some colleagues of hers have been more reticent. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently wrote to her constituents saying that the proposed changes could create “death on demand.” A group of faith leaders representing Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and Sikhs signed an open letter warning that the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill could pressure patients into ending their lives to release the heavy burden on their families or the NHS.
The MPs would be given a free vote on the bill, which means they could vote according to their will rather than following orders from their party. The public opinion polls show a majority support for changing the law, with the latest YouGov poll showing that 73% of Britons support the idea of assisted dying in principle.
Campaigning for both sides continues in the run-up to Friday’s vote, which will be the first public expression of MPs’ support. Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown told BBC radio 4’s Sunday program that he wanted to see more debate on the issues, and he urged MPs to vote against the change, saying that he saw life as a gift to be valued. Meanwhile, Conservative shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake said he plans to support the bill, arguing that he and many others would like to have that choice come the end of their life and that he trusted Parliament to keep controls in place to ensure this system’s protection
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
