CNK raises concerns about 'murky' process to fast track assisted dying bill

Kim Leadbetter MP Official portrait

Source: Care Not Killing

Responding to the news that Kim Leadbetter MP plans to bring forward an assisted suicide dying bill, Dr Gordon Macdonald, CEO for Care Not Killing commented: "This is clearly disappointing news, but worst than that there appears to have been deliberate and underhand pressure placed on backbench MPs by Labour Party apparatchiks to bring forward a draft bill.

"It has previously been reported by a national newspaper that MPs towards the top of the Private members bill ballot were being offered two additional paid for researchers to help them, draft the bill. This raises serious questions about how these researchers will be paid for and by whom.

"Has the Labour Government abandoned previous statements about assisted suicide and euthanasia being a conscience vote and intend to pay for these researchers from official Party funds, or are the researchers being funded by a so-far anonymous donor or external organisation?

"Either way offering inducements to MPs to bring forward a bill will not sit right with the British Public. We therefore call upon the Prime Minister to come clean about the financial interests backing this bill and end the murky way officials seem to be promoting a change in the law."

Dr Macdonald continued: "MPs considering a change in the law would do well to look at the detailed polling carried out earlier this year, under British Polling Council guidelines which concluded that a clear majority (56 per cent) of the public who expressed a view supporting assisted dying/assisted suicide in principle do not believe that a law allowing assisted suicide or euthanasia can be implemented safely."

The polling, carried out earlier this year by Whitestone Insight also found:

- A majority feel that if assisted dying is legalised in the UK, patients should have the legal right to choose to be treated by doctors and other health professionals who have opted out of participating in it.

- Legalising assisted dying/assisted suicide is not a political priority for most people. Legalising assisted dying/assisted suicide ranked 23 out of 24 of issues that need attention, with "regulating AI" and "international trade deals" ranking higher. Only four per cent thought it should be a priority for politicians.

- 60 per cent of those surveyed worried that legalising AD/AS would fundamentally change the relationship between doctor and patient, including more than half (51 per cent) of those who support AD/AD.

- Seven in 10 (70 per cent) said that assistance in dying in countries like Canada and the Netherlands, where young people with no terminal illness are helped to die, has gone too far. This rose to more than eight in 10 (84 per cent) when those who answered 'don't know' were discounted.

- Young people reject assisted dying/assisted suicide more than do any other age group. Fewer than half (44 per cent) of 18-24-year-olds supported legalising assisted dying/assisted suicide.

- A clear majority - 56 per cent - voiced fears that legalising assisted suicide would lead to a culture where suicide becomes more normalised than it is today. This rose to 67 per cent when those who answered "don't know" were omitted.

- Similarly, 43 per cent fear that introducing assisted suicide when the NHS and Social Care budget is under such pressure would inevitably place an incentive on health professionals to encourage some people to end their lives early.

Dr Macdonald concluded: "We have all seen how quickly the safeguards in countries like Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands have been eroded so disabled people and those with mental health problems, even eating disorders are now being euthanised. Therefore, I would strongly urge the Government to focus on fixing our broken palliative care system that sees up to one in four Brits who would benefit from this type of care being unable to access it, rather than discussing again this dangerous and ideological policy."

For more information see Care Not Killing: www.carenotkilling.org.uk/

If you would like to talk with someone about issues raised in this article, the Samaritans are available 24 hours a day. Call free on 116 123 or visit: www.samaritans.org