The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chairing his first Cabinet this morning (c) Open Government Licence v3.0.
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has said he would support allowing enough parliamentary time for a meaningful debate and vote on assisted dying. Mr Sunak also pledged to introduce assisted dying laws if parliament wanted to change the law, saying the government would “facilitate” it in a “legally effective” way.
My Death, My Decision welcomes the Prime Minister’s comments and will push for an assisted dying Private Member’s Bill to be introduced at the next opportunity.
Earlier this year the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, made a similar pledge of parliamentary time.
Trevor Moore, Chair of My Death, My Decision said:
“This is huge. Both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the opposition have now said they would make parliamentary time for a meaningful vote on assisted dying. This is welcome progress towards more compassionate end-of-life choices for people suffering unbearably from incurable conditions.
With the vast majority of the public in favour of law change, voters from all parties have been pushing for a proper debate and vote on this crucial issue. It’s about time we stopped exporting compassion to Switzerland and gave suffering people the choice of how and when they wish their life to end.”
Sunak made the comments to campaigner Matt Ryan, 44, who told him that reforms could have eased the suffering his family faced when both his father, David Minns, and his sister, Katie, died from cancer.
There has not been a vote on assisted dying since 2015. The most recent attempt to change the law ended when a Bill in the House of Lords ran out of time in 2021. There are currently no votes or debates expected on this topic in this parliamentary term.
The Health and Social Care Committee is currently running an inquiry into assisted dying. The date of the report’s publication is likely to be announced soon.
Progress on assisted dying legislation is being made in Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man. Each jurisdiction is due to debate the issue this year.
Notes:
Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request
For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033.
My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable physical condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.
Read more about our work with the Assisted Dying Inquiry: https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/2023/07/13/our-summary-the-assisted-dying-inquiry/
