This Friday, November 29, British deputies will address a bill authorizing assistance in dying for certain terminally ill patients, which is sparking intense debates and whose approval remains very uncertain.
Beyond partisan divisions, each elected official is called to decide according to their convictions on this proposal by Labor MP Kim Leadbeater, which does not have official support from the government.
This text, for England and Wales, should allow terminally ill adults, who have only six months to live, to end their suffering. They must be able to express an informed choice, and two doctors and a judge must agree, making it the “strongest” text in the world, said Kim Leadbeater.
The Minister of Health against the text
In 2015, an assisted suicide bill suffered a bitter failure in the British Parliament, but public opinion has since evolved. It is now overwhelmingly in favor of the project, according to several recent polls, including that of the YouGov institute, which indicated last Friday that three quarters of the inhabitants of England and Wales were in favor of this change in law.
In the United Kingdom, a lively debate preceded this vote, with fears of possible abuse or limitations that would be placed on vulnerable or disabled people. About thirty religious leaders expressed their “deep concern” this Sunday, fearing that fragile people feel the “duty to die” to stop being a burden.
Many voices have also been raised to say that palliative care should be funded more before assistance in dying is authorized. “There is a point on which everyone agrees (…) more investment is needed in palliative and end-of-life care,” summarized Katie Reade, from the organization Hospice UK.
Wes Streeting, the Health Minister, himself has expressed fears of an additional financial burden on the public NHS hit by the crisis, and said he would vote against.
Uncertainty about the result of the vote
The debate, which will begin at 9.30am local time, goes beyond the usual division between Labor and the Conservatives. The majority of the 650 elected officials have not revealed their voting intentions. If it passes this first stage, the text will be examined and modified in committee, before being presented again for approval by both houses of the British Parliament.
Former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron indicated that he would vote in favor of the text, after initially opposing it. On the contrary, Boris Johnson, one of his successors, is against it.
The current prime minister, Labor’s Keir Starmer, has not spoken, but spoke in favor of the 2015 bill when he was an MP.
Assisted suicide is currently illegal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and carries a penalty of 14 years in prison if you are an accessory or accessory. Scotland, which has delegated health powers, is due to vote on its own bill in 2025. The Isle of Man is also considering a text, while Jersey, another Channel Island, has validated the preparation of a law by 2027.
Source: BFM TV
