MPs will likely be given a vote on legalising assisted suicide—or ‘assisted dying,’ as its supporters prefer to call it—as early as next year. When this happens, it seems certain that this Parliament—even more liberal than the last—will pass it.
That’s despite Labour health secretary Wes Streeting’s admission just last week that the horrific state of end-of-life care in Britain means the health service is not ready for the practice, which campaigners previously told The European Conservative would for many see the “so-called right to die” become “the duty to die.”
Streeting said, “when I think about this question of being a burden, I do not think that palliative care … in this country is in a condition yet where we are giving people the freedom to choose, without being coerced by the lack of support available.”
I am not sure as a country we have the right end-of-life care available to enable a real choice on assisted dying.
Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee also produced a report earlier this year highlighting the need for major improvements in end-of-life care.
And Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer today, on September 12th, suggested that it could take a whole decade for the health service to get properly back on its feet.
Not that this will slow campaigners for assisted suicide down.
Labour MP Jake Richards has called for what he describes as “archaic law in this area” to be changed for years. “I hope, and indeed expect, [the] government to give this issue time and for the House to have a free vote,” he said, meaning MPs would not have to follow whatever line is set by their political party.
Starmer is also a long-time supporter of changing the law on assisted suicide.
When the vote comes around, conservatives would be unwise to pin their hopes on the Conservative Party opposing legalisation. Current Tory leader and former PM Rishi Sunak said in June that he was “not against” assisted suicide “in principle.” An alleged ‘conservative’ commentator has also suggested that the old and infirm should be “urged” to kill themselves in order to save the state some cash.
Those battling to become the next Tory leader are now posturing on the issue of assisted suicide, but it is difficult to imagine the winner—whoever it is—encouraging their MPs to vote against the change.
Reports on these proposals come at around the same time as Starmer laying out his plans for reducing the massive NHS backlog.
