British parliament to get historic vote on assisted dying

LONDON — British lawmakers are to consider proposals to give terminally ill people the right to end their life.

The plans, which apply in England and Wales, will be brought before parliament this month in a bill put forward by backbench Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.

Speaking to the BBC, Leadbeater said the “time is right” to debate assisted dying, after MPs rejected a similar reform in 2015.

Details have not yet been finalized, but it is expected to follow the outline of a bill introduced in the House of Lords by former Justice Secretary Charlie Falconer, which would allow terminally ill adults with six months to live or less to get medical help to end their own lives.

Keir Starmer previously said he was “personally committed” to changing the law and pledged after becoming prime minister that he would allow time for it to be debated.

MPs will get a free vote on the issue — meaning they will not be obliged to vote on party lines — as is usual on so-called matters of conscience. 

Cabinet ministers will also be excused from the principle of collective responsibility in order to vote as they wish, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case confirmed in a letter.

Backbench MPs would normally have little hope of their bills becoming law, but the government can ensure it progresses to a vote by allotting parliamentary time.

Assisting suicide is currently illegal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Calls for a change in the law have gained fresh momentum in recent months thanks to campaigning by the prominent British broadcaster Esther Rantzen, who disclosed that she has lung cancer and had joined Dignitas, the assisted dying clinic in Switzerland.

Views at the top of government are split on the subject, with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband describing the current law as “cruel” and vowing to back the legislation. 

Health Secretary Wes Streeting voted in favor of assisted dying back in 2015 but has declared himself conflicted, warning that end-of-life care is not good enough in the U.K. to truly give people the freedom to choose. 

There are particularly strong objections to the reform from disabled people. Tanni Grey-Thompson, a former paralympian and crossbench peer, told the BBC she was opposed over concerns “about the impact on vulnerable people.”

Medical professionals and religious leaders have also voiced doubts, although opposition is not universal.

Switzerland, Austria, Canada and 11 U.S. states all have legalized forms of assisted dying, while in the U.K. Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man are also considering changes to the law.