London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Boris Johnson, Theresa May, and Liz Truss, three former Conservative prime ministers have united in opposition to the assisted dying bill, set for voting in the Commons this Friday. The bill is facing resistance from political leaders and religious groups.
Conservative’s three ex-prime ministers speak out against the assisted dying bill, with Mr Grieve warning that it could violate the rule of law.
Just days before MPs vote on assisted dying proposal, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liza Truss stand against changes to assisted dying law affecting patients in England and Wales.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Theresa May is likely to vote against the bill on Friday, staying consistent with her 2015 opposition against the legalisation.
Boris Johnson can’t vote as he’s not an MP, but he has indicated he will not support the bill in its current form. While Sunak, who once backed a legal change, may not support the legislation, reports say.
Liz Truss, a former prime minister, told The Telegraph she was “completely opposed” to the bill, stating, “It is wrong in principle: organs of the state like the NHS and the judicial system should be protecting lives, not ending them.”
She added, “No doubt, as we have seen in Canada, vulnerable people would be put under appalling pressure to end their lives early. The law would be ripe for being exploited by the unscrupulous. MPs should vote this terrible Bill down and instead focus on improving health services.”
Their intervention comes after former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s opposition to the bill last week; he shared his personal experience of losing his newborn daughter in 2002 as a major reason for his support of improving end-of-life care over assisted dying.
What does the bill propose?
The assisted dying bill seeks to allow adults aged 18 and over, who are mentally competent, and terminally ill, to request medical assistance to end their life in the final six months.
Political divide over the assisted dying bill
Lord Cameron, who did not vote on the 2015 bill, is now carefully observing the debate and considering both sides of the argument.
Tony Blair has not yet clarified his view on the proposed legislation.
While Sir Keir Starmer said he favours a change in the law but has not revealed his position.
The Labour Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, expressed his opposition to the Bill on Tuesday, stating it could enable “coercive control” of vulnerable individuals.
Dominic Grieve, the ex-attorney general, claims the assisted dying bill is likely to be blocked by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
As reported by the Independent News, Grieve is one of the five ex-government law officers who warned MPs to reject the assisted dying bill, if passed it could “overturn decades of legal convention” and disrupt the judiciary.
The Telegraph also reveals that they had seen a letter sent by Shadow Foreign Minister Dame Priti, in which she made it clear she would vote against the bill.
Eight additional shadow cabinet ministers are reportedly against the bill, with four more opposed to assisted dying. Only two are believed to support it.
The Guardian has revealed that Neil Kinnock, the former Labour leader, privately told colleagues that he supports a change in legislation and plans to vote for it in the House of Lords on Friday.
Leadbeater defends assisted dying bill
Kim Leadbeater, a labour MP, who proposed the bill and described her bill as the world’s most rigorous, highlighted the “three layers of scrutiny” involving two doctors and a High Court Judge.
According to Ms Leadbeater, those who are against the legalization of assisted dying “mustn’t be hearing” the stories shared by terminally ill individuals.
She told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme “If this bill does pass the second reading, the government mechanisms will then start to kick in, basically, and we’ll start to look at what the implementation would look like. The debate will continue … and the advantage we’ve got … is that there are other countries around the world which have got on a version of assisted dying, and we can learn from those.”
Friday marks a crucial moment for MPs as they decide on the future of assisted dying.
Global overview of assisted dying laws
United States
Assisted dying is allowed in 10 US states, with Oregon at the forefront since 1997. Patients must be terminally ill and self-administer the lethal dose, a model that has influenced other states’ laws.
Canada
Canada approved medical assistance in dying (MAID) in 2016, initially for the terminally ill, but later expanded to those enduring irreversible conditions and unbearable suffering.
Europe
In Europe, countries such as Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Belgium have legalized assisted dying, with eligibility extending beyond terminal conditions to include those with severe, incurable illnesses and, in some cases, children.
Australia & New Zealand
Voluntary assisted dying is now legal across much of Australia and New Zealand, available to terminally ill patients, with options for both self-administered and physician-assisted death.