The British House of Commons votes on assisted suicide

A leaflet photo released by the British Parliament shows British Prime Minister Keir Starmer standing and speaking during a Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQ) session at the House of Commons in central London, November 27, 2024. | Photo source: AFP/Handout/UK Parliament

On Friday (November 29, 2024), the UK House of Commons will vote on a bill to allow certain terminally ill adults in England and Wales to end their lives in certain circumstances. The legislation has sparked a range of emotions and reactions among the public, as some MPs engage with their constituents on the issue and individuals and organizations campaign for and against the legislation.

The Act on terminally ill persons (at the end of life) for 2024–25 provides terminally ill adults who are mentally competent and have no more than six months to live the opportunity to seek medical assistance to end their life. MPs will be able to vote according to their conscience in the Private Members Bill and will not be obliged to vote along party lines. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not publicly revealed how he will vote on Friday (November 29, 2024).

Politicians from the Conservative and Labor parties, as well as public opinion, are divided on this issue. Labor MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the bill, defended its protections. A judge and two doctors would have to sign off on the patient’s request to end his life. According to the provisions of the bill, forcing someone to take their life is punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Several former politicians, MPs and members of the House of Lords have declared their position on this matter. Former English Prime Minister David Cameron, who previously opposed changing the current rules, said he now supports the new rules. Former British prime ministers Gordon Brown, Lizz Truss and Theresa May have suggested they oppose the bill.

UK Health Secretary Wes Steering told the BBC he would vote against the bill because of the risk of people being forced to end their lives out of “guilt” or “a sense of burden”.

Steering came under attack, including from his own party, for publicly opposing the bill and ordering a study into how much it would cost the National Health Service (NHS) if the bill became law.

“I think it’s really important that the government remains neutral on this issue, and the two people whose neutrality is most important are the prime minister and the health secretary.” Said Harriet Harman, a member of the House of Lords and former leader of the Labor Party Observer.

Campaign for the dignity of dying coalition to change the law, argues that many Britons (at least 500 since 2002, according to the Guardian) go to Switzerland anyway, where they receive assisted dying, to avoid a “painful and undignified death”. . The trip is problematic for many reasons, according to the organization, including: because it discriminates against people who cannot afford to travel and requires people who can to travel earlier than necessary (in case they cannot travel later).

“In addition to good care, the dying deserve the ability to control the time and manner of their death,” the group says. Part of their campaign is to highlight individual cases.

Take care not to killa coalition of individuals, non-profit organizations and religious groups, opposes any changes to existing laws prohibiting assisted suicide. He says difficult cases are being used to provoke emotional responses at the expense of strong arguments against the legislation. The group advocates promoting more and better palliative care rather than helping individuals end their lives, saying the change in law could put pressure on people who are sick, depressed, disabled or elderly. The group says pressure may increase these days when economic conditions (in the UK) are difficult. The group also argues that if the bill is passed, activists will campaign to gradually extend the “right to die” to other categories of people.

Several other parts of the UK, including Scotland, are currently considering similar legislation. The House of Commons last considered introducing assisted dying legislation in 2015, where it was rejected by a vote of 330 to 118.