On 11 September, MPs will debate and vote on a bill to legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales.
Lauren Edwards’ Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill would allow doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to a broad range of patients.
We are concerned that the bill would lead to injustices against disabled people, people with dementia, vulnerable women and others. As we have reiterated, there are a number of unsolvable problems with ‘assisted dying’ laws:
Social and internal pressure: No legal drafting could prevent people feeling pressure to die due to a lack of support; because they feel like a burden; or because of feelings of hopelessness or despair arising from circumstances in their lives.
Coercion of vulnerable citizens: Controlling or coercive behaviour is crime that can happen gradually and subtly, making it difficult for professionals to identify and evidence. In addition, victims themselves may not know they are experiencing it.
Mission creep in legislation: Countries with long-standing assisted suicide or euthanasia laws and countries that have introduced laws in the last decade have witnessed expansion. Holyrood’s Health Committee recognises the risk of this in Scotland.
If you live in the United Kingdom, please write to your MP to raise concerns about the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and ask them to vote against it at Second Reading on 11 September. We have provided a draft email bellow, should you wish to make use of it.
Note that while the Bill applies in England and Wales it will have an indirect impact on Scotland and Northern Ireland, and MPs throughout the United Kingdom have a vote.
Please make this draft your own by adding in your own reflections, and personal experiences that lead you to oppose a law change. Perhaps you know of vulnerable people that could be disproportionately impacted by an assisted suicide law.
To find out who your MP is visit the Write To Them website. After you have entered your postcode, you will see your constituency MP under ‘Your MP’. You will be asked what your message is about, click the second button I want to talk about a policy or campaign.
Thank you for taking action with us!
Draft email template
You may wish to send something like this – do personalise it before sending.
Dear [MPs name will be inserted],
As a constituent, I am writing to ask you to vote against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at Stage 2. I understand there are strong arguments on both sides of the debate, but I fear that this Bill would not be safe.
The Bill has dangers that cannot be mitigated completely. There is no way to guard against coercion of vulnerable people, including victims of domestic abuse and elder abuse. Coercive and controlling behaviour is an insidious crime. It’s hard for experts to identify, never mind busy doctors.
There is also no way to prevent people choosing to end their lives because of pressure arising from inequality. Not everyone has access to good healthcare, and other support they need. This fact would inevitably affect decision making. That is why we need to fix palliative care and social care before we pass a law on assisted dying.
I am also concerned by evidence from Oregon that many people cite ‘being a burden’ as one motivating factor before ending their lives. This feeling is a common one in caring situations, and I fear that it will motivate many people to end their lives.
I’d urge you to think about the prospect of mission creep in legislation. We have seen how the law has been extended to people who are not terminally ill in Canada and to children in Belgium. Even in Australia they are abandoning safeguards they brought in less than ten years ago.
I was relieved when a previous version of this Bill ran out of time and I do not understand why it is being brought back when there are so many more important things that need fixing. Please think carefully about what I’ve said and vote against the bill. I would urge you to support truly progressive policies instead: suicide prevention, palliative care, better social care and better support for disabled people.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name here]