There are currently legislative proposals in both Westminster and Holyrood to enable terminally ill adults to get help from doctors to kill themselves - assisted dying or assisted suicide - which pose a very serious threat to medical ethics and the intrinsic sanctity and dignity of every human life. The bills propose a fundamental change in the relationship between the state and an individual, and between a doctor and their patient.  No longer could an individual assume that the state or their doctor will act in their best interests. Death would be recognised as a treatment for suffering.

Assisted dying or assisted suicide denies the value of human life and, whatever “safeguards” are built in, will inevitably be a slippery slope as eligibility criteria widen, as we have seen in other countries e.g. Canada, Oregon, the Netherlands and Belgium. The state exists to protect the lives of its citizens, not to facilitate the ending of their lives. The incentive to improve and provide good palliative care for all would be gone. Legislating for the choice to die will inevitably lead to the vulnerable feeling a duty to die, for fear of being a burden to their family, the NHS or wider society. This will likely lead to active euthanasia (killing by a doctor's hand).  We must instead put resources into widening and improving palliative care and social care for all.

In England and Wales, Kim Leadbeater has put forward a private member's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill which had its first reading on the 16th October, and will have its second reading on Friday 29th November.  The similar Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, was put forward in the Scottish Parliament by Iain MacArthur in March 2024 and is currently at Stage 1 of the process, being examined by the "lead committee".

Calls to Action

We are asking people to lobby their MPs to vote against the Leadbeater Bill before the 29th November using some great resources from other campaign groups.