Lord Falconer's Assisted Dying Bill progresses in the Lords

Friday was a big day for all those who have supported Lord Falconer's Assisted Dying Bill. The Bill was given its second reading in the House of Lords and successfully passed to the next stage of the parliamentary process, the committee stage. It is indicative of the nature of the issue that over 120 peers spoke during the debate with many of them basing their arguments, whether for or against the Bill, around their own personal experiences.

 

As a strong supporter of assisted dying I believe the Lords reached the right decision yesterday and hope that the bill can now move forward, however the obstacles ahead are substantial. One of the main issues relates to the availability of parliamentary time, a shortage of which is likely to result in the Bill being delayed until after the next general election. Future progress may well depend on the attitude of the next government. Given that recent opinion polls show that public support for assisted dying runs at around 70% of the population, I hope that all of the parties will consider including a commitment to progressing the Bill within their election manifestos.

 

On Thursday last week Katie and I attended an event organised by Dignity in Dying in Westminster. The attendees at this event included Lords supporting the Bill together with patrons, staff and supporters of Dignity in Dying. Sir Patrick Stewart, the noted actor, gave a powerful and moving speech in which he explained his own reasons for supporting a change in the law. Lord Falconer also spoke, urging his fellow peers to attend the debate and stay until the end just in case a vote was called. It was impressive to see the passion of all those at the event, their commitment to seeing the law changed gives me confidence that there will continue to be progress and that eventually the political community will catch up with the views of the wider public.

 

It is extremely unlikely that the Assisted Dying Bill will come into force in time for me to be able to benefit from it. I am however committed to supporting its progress as I'm convinced of the significant comfort it will provide to many terminally ill people in the future. The best way you can support the progress of the bill is to join Dignity in Dying.