Stephen Kinnock
Labour
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Dear Mr Kinnock,
I would like to express my concern that over 100 MPs have signed a letter to the Prime Minister calling for an assisted dying/suicide bill to be (re-)introduced in the new session of Parliament.
This is a sensitive issue with strongly held views on both sides of the debate. However, it has become clear that the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill contained many shortcomings. It put at risk people who are most vulnerable to coercion, pressure and depression, and particularly those with disabilities.
Lord Falconer himself introduced 76 amendments to the Bill which shows that the Bill passed by the House of Commons was wholly inadequate. Medical Royal Colleges, although neutral on the principle of assisted dying/suicide, have expressed their opposition to the Bill which they consider to be unsafe. Moreover, 80 amendments aimed at making the Bill safer were not even debated during Report Stage in the Commons. It would be irresponsible to bring the same Bill back unamended and use the Parliament Acts to force it onto the Statute Book.
With one in three people not getting all their palliative care needs met, the postcode lottery in palliative care should be addressed as a priority. Recent polling by Whitestone Insight shows that two-thirds (67%) of the public agree that “it is essential that high quality hospice and/or palliative care is universally available before any assisted suicide laws are passed”.
Whilst it may be frustrating for supporters of the Bill that the House of Lords’ scrutiny process has taken so long, 71% of Liberal Democrat voters think that “members of the House of Lords have a moral obligation to block or amend any legislation if they genuinely believe it could put vulnerable people at risk”.
Some Bill supporters are suggesting tactics that would undermine democratic scrutiny. Some are even suggesting packing a new Committee in the Commons only with supporters of assisted suicide to force a new Bill through unamended as quickly as possible. However, the public do not support this approach. Excluding those who said they didn’t know, 68% of people agreed that “if the proposed law falls because the House of Lords’ attempts to address safety concerns raised by experts cannot be completed within the parliamentary timetable, no parliamentary procedure should be able to override that” with only 32% disagreeing.
I would ask you to reflect on these concerns.
Thank you for all your work on behalf of constituents and in representing our local area.
With best wishes,
Whilst it may be frustrating for supporters of the Bill that the House of Lords’ scrutiny process has taken so long, 62% of voters think that “members of the House of Lords have a moral obligation to block or amend any legislation if they genuinely believe it could put vulnerable people at risk”.