Ruth Cadbury MP has announced her support for new efforts to reform the law around assisted dying.
This announcement comes as Kim Leadbeater MP presents a bill to parliament on 16th October 2024 which will seek to reform the law to allow for assisted dying for terminally ill adults, who are mentally competent and have less than six months to live. In a letter from the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to Cabinet Ministers the Government have confirmed that it will not take a specific view on this matter and that it will be up to individual MPs to decide how to vote. In his letter Simon Case said,
“As is long-standing convention for such issues of conscience, the Prime Minister has decided …The Government will therefore remain neutral on the passage of the Bill and on the matter of assisted dying.”
Under the Private Members Bill process this bill will be debated on and voted by MPs.
Commenting about the proposed law change, Ruth said,
“I support this legislation to reform the law to allow for assisted dying for adults who are terminally ill, mentally competent and have less than six months to live.’’
‘‘This bill affects those for whom the choice is not ‘whether’ they die, but ‘how’, ‘where’, and ‘with whom’. It is a bill designed to return to the terminally ill the dignity and choice that has been robbed of them by illness. Over the years, many constituents have written to me, calling for just such a change to the law and some have outlined the horrible experiences their loved ones have faced under the current law. I have heard terrible testimony about family members who were robbed of the chance to die in a safe and comfortable manner.’’
‘‘Polling has shown a majority of the public want to see the law reformed. Ultimately, however, this is a deeply personal question of individual conscience and will be up for individual MPs to decide. I have listened closely to the arguments against, but they are based, it seems to me, on two core positions, neither of which I accept. One is a faith-based view that assisted dying is simply morally wrong. I respect those who hold that view, but I do not believe that it should be imposed on those who do not. The second is that the change will put pressure on vulnerable people, who otherwise would not consider the option of ending their life. I do not believe that the international examples from countries such as Australia support this assertion and there are explicit safeguards in the bill to ensure that this does not happen.’’
“Finally, I welcome the Government’s decision that this is a question for Parliament. This is a deeply personal question of conscience, and I know other MPs will take opposing views. That is the fundamental essence and the strength of our parliamentary system, and is how previous reforms around abortion and the end of capital punishment where dealt with in the 1960s. Parliament is at its best when it rises to these occasions and takes a cross-party, consensual, and evidence-based approach to issues. That is the approach that we need on this vital issue and which we have used in the past.’’