Former PM Gordon Brown opposes assisted dying, calls for better care

Former PM Gordon Brown opposes assisted dying, calls for better care
Credit: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The former Labour prime minister has opposed the assisted dying bill, calling for better end-of-life care instead. He urged for a commission on palliative care before considering such legislation.

Gordon Brown has publicly argued against the assisted dying bill, stating that the death of his infant strengthens his belief in the need for better palliative care instead of legislative changes. 

In a rare and emotional reflection, the former PM recalled the time spent with his wife, Sarah, at their baby Jennifer’s bedside “as her life ebbed away”, describing those moments “among the most precious days of [our] lives”. 

Next Friday, MPs will debate the Terminally ILL Adults (End of Life) Bill, which aims to allow medically assisted death for eligible terminally ill patients. 

Brown warns in The Guardian column that the assisted dying discussion is moving too fast and insists that with the NHS in its current condition, it’s not the right time to make such an important decision. 

Kim Leadbeater, a Labour MP, has introduced the bill to prevent suffering from a terminal illness, with support from public figures like Esther Rantzen who push for legal reform. 

Although Gordon stepped down as MP in 2015 and will not vote, his opinion still holds significant influence within the Labour Party. 

MPs are ready to have a free vote on Friday, with the freedom to follow their beliefs rather than party directions. 

As the historic vote approaches, supporters and opponents of the bill are stepping up their lobbying efforts to influence undecided MPs. 

Brown shares the extent of Jennifer’s brain haemorrhage just four days after her birth in December 2001, when he was Chancellor and she passed away at 11 days old. 

He stated, ā€œWe were fully aware that all hope was gone and that she had no chance of survival. We could only sit with her, hold her tiny hand and be there for her as life ebbed away. She died in our armsā€.

ā€œBut those days we spent with her remain among the most precious days of my and Sarahā€™s lives. The experience of sitting with a fatally ill baby girl did not convince me of the case for assisted dying; it convinced me of the value and imperative of good end-of-life care. We were reassured that she was not in painā€.

Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, on Friday became the latest cabinet minister to share their view on assisted dying when she said she supported “the principle of needing changeā€ in the law.

she told Good Morning Britain, ā€œI have voted for change in the past. These are important and difficult issues, and I havenā€™t changed my view on the principles of this issue. But I do also recognise that there is a detailed debate to be had on the details of legislation on the kinds of safeguards and things that need to be in placeā€. 

When asked how she would vote, she added ā€œI continue to support the principle of needing change but also to ensure that weā€™ve got the proper safeguards and systems in placeā€. 

According to a YouGov poll published on Friday, 73% of the British public support assisted dying, while 13% oppose it. more than 55% think the law should be extended to include people with severe, non-terminal conditions. 

Brown argues that the decision on assisted dying should be delayed to allow for more discussion and understanding of the issue. 

He writes: ā€œBritain usually moves too slowly on those matters where it should move fast. But sometimes, as now, it can move too fast on an issue where it should go slower, listen and learnā€. 

Mr Brown added, ā€œAnd with the NHS still at its lowest ebb, this is not the right time to make such a profound decision. Instead, we need to show we can do better at assisted living before deciding whether to legislate on ways to dieā€.

The voting on the assisted dying bill will be held next week on 29 November. Many British political leaders and ministers have already cleared their position over this bill. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, and Science Secretary Peter Kyle will vote in favour of this bill while many have not yet decided. 

Daniele Naddei

Daniele Naddei is a journalist at Parliament News covering European affairs, was born in Naples on April 8, 1991. He also serves as the Director of the CentroSud24 newspaper. During the period from 2010 to 2013, Naddei completed an internship at the esteemed local radio station Radio Club 91. Subsequently, he became the author of a weekly magazine published by the Italian Volleyball Federation of Campania (FIPAV Campania), which led to his registration in the professional order of Journalists of Campania in early 2014, listed under publicists. From 2013 to 2018, he worked as a freelance photojournalist and cameraman for external services for Rai and various local entities, including TeleCapri, CapriEvent, and TLA. Additionally, between 2014 and 2017, Naddei collaborated full-time with various newspapers in Campania, both in print and online. During this period, he also resumed his role as Editor-in-Chief at Radio Club 91.
Naddei is actively involved as a press officer for several companies and is responsible for editing cultural and social events in the city through his association with the Medea Fattoria Sociale. This experience continued until 2021. Throughout these years, he hosted or collaborated on football sports programs for various local broadcasters, including TLA, TvLuna, TeleCapri, Radio Stonata, Radio Amore, and Radio Antenna Uno.
From 2016 to 2018, Naddei was employed as an editor at newspapers of national interest within the Il24.it circuit, including Internazionale24, Salute24, and OggiScuola. Since 2019, Naddei has been one of the creators of the Rabona television program "Calcio ĆØ Passione," which has been broadcast on TeleCapri Sport since 2023.