Many disabled people across the UK oppose assisted suicide fearing its impact on their rights and the way disabled people’s lives are viewed in wider society. Evidence of this is seen in the striking fact that no disabled people’s organisation in the UK supports a change in the law.
Setting out its position on assisted suicide, Disability Rights UK, the largest disabled people’s organisation (DPO) in the country, states:
“Disabled people aren’t currently assisted to live in the UK. Our rights are violated daily, our access to essential services is denied, and we are made to feel like a burden to society. If [assisted suicide] becomes law, it will be easier in practice to access assisted dying in the UK than it will be to access adequate housing or social care. Legalising assisted dying in this context will, in practice, put us at significant risk.“
Legalising assisted suicide would contravene the founding principles of the NHS. It would see cases of coercion, and deaths driven by systemic ableism. And it would undermine the vital bond of trust that should exist between disabled people and their doctors.
Disabled people would be caught by the bills being considered at Westminster and Holyrood. Disturbingly, amendments to enhance protections for disabled people, including people with learning disabilities, have been voted down in the last few months.
Standing up for disabled people means saying no to assisted suicide. We should not be sending a message that lives marked by illness and disability aren’t worth living. We hope we can count on your support and partnership in stopping a law change.
Take action!
Write to politicians
It’s important that opponents of assisted suicide make our voices heard by writing to politicians, including MPs, Peers, and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Would you consider doing this? Here are some tips for contacting politicians about this important issue.
1. Find out who your representatives are
You can find out who your representatives are by visiting Write To Them.
2. Contact the right people about the right Bills
Everyone in the UK has an MP, who you can write to about the Commons Bill from Kim Leadbeater MP. You can also write to a Peer if you wish – instructions on doing that here. There’s an option to search by topic or ‘get a random Lord’.
If you live in Scotland, you have a constituency MSP and seven regional MSPs. The Write To Them site will identify who these people are, enable you to draft an email to you constituency MSP, and offer an option to ‘write to all your regional MSPs’ at the same time.
Make sure you focus on Liam McArthur’s assisted suicide Bill if you are writing to MSPs.
3. Make your points well
When emailing your representatives, make sure you mention that you are a constituent. You should try to make you email brief and raise a few key arguments against a change in the law. If you have relevant expertise – for example as a doctor, carer or lawyer – it’s worth mentioning this. Lived experience is also powerful. Are you concerned that this law would impact you personally? What experiences in your life make you opposed to the Bill?
4. Speak up on social media
If you’ve gone to the trouble of emailing a politician about assisted suicide, why not share your views on social media too? By speaking out, we can stand in solidarity with those who would be most endangered by a change in the law and help change the narrative on this issue.
Template email
You can use this draft email for inspiration if you wish. Please edit the text to make it your own and include personal experiences you or loved ones have had if you can. Stories of this kind are compelling and help politicians appreciate the strength of constituents’ concerns.
Dear (YOUR POLITICIAN’S NAME HERE),
As a constituent, I am writing to you to ask you to vote against the assisted suicide bill.
Many disabled people across the UK oppose assisted suicide fearing its impact on their rights and the way disabled people’s lives are viewed in wider society. Evidence of this is seen in the striking fact that no disabled people’s organisation in the UK supports a change in the law.
Setting out its position on assisted suicide, Disability Rights UK, the largest disabled people’s organisation in the country, states:
“Disabled people aren’t currently assisted to live in the UK. Our rights are violated daily, our access to essential services is denied, and we are made to feel like a burden to society. If [assisted suicide] becomes law, it will be easier in practice to access assisted dying in the UK than it will be to access adequate housing or social care. Legalising assisted dying in this context will, in practice, put us at significant risk.“
I believe that assisted suicide is contrary to the founding principles of the NHS. It would lead to cases of coercion, and deaths driven by systemic ableism. And it would undermine the vital bond of trust that should exist between disabled people and their doctors.
Disabled people fall within the scope of the bills being considered at Westminster and Holyrood. And their community would be harmed by a change in the law. We should not be sending a message that lives marked by illness and disability aren’t worth living.
Please vote against the bill when it comes up in parliament again.
Yours sincerely,
YOUR NAME HERE – INCLUDE YOUR ADDRESS AND POST CODE