Mary Glindon MP. Why I’m opposing the assisted dying law

The new law would allow a terminally ill person within six months of death to request help to end their lives and for that to be policed by two doctors and a high court judge. This would probably apply to a few hundred people each year.

I have decided to oppose the bill for the following reasons. Other countries with similar laws have seen them extended by judicial interpretation and by health authorities. I am disturbed that theAmerican state of Oregon sees “terminal illness” as any illness that would lead to death without treatment and that permission has been given to those with diabetes, arthritis, a hernia, and anorexia.

Even if such mission creep can be absolutely avoided, and I find that doubtful, there is an even deeper problem which is coercion. My fear is that the safeguards are flimsy and probably won’t offer protection against sometimes subtle pressures on frail and vulnerable people who may feel their lives have become burdensome to others, as Gordon Brown argues.

And there is also the possibility of greedy relatives seeing opportunities to gaslight their loved ones to inherit more of their assets.

I respect the good intentions of supporters of the bill but am not convinced that it protects the most vulnerable. On the balance of probabilities, it is best to reject this and to focus on improving palliative care in hospices, hospitals, and homes at the end of life.