Keir Starmer faces growing pressure to honor his commitment to a parliamentary vote on legalizing assisted dying, as Lord Falconer is set to introduce a private member’s bill in the House of Lords on Friday, July 26.
Lord Falconer, who served as lord chancellor under Tony Blair, is spearheading a bill to allow assisted dying for terminally ill adults. This move follows his success in securing a high position in a ballot of peers last week.
Starmer has previously expressed support for changing the law on assisted dying.
In March, he assured television presenter Esther Rantzen, who is battling terminal cancer and advocating for assisted dying, that he would allocate parliamentary time to debate the issue and ensure a free vote if he became Prime Minister.
Starmer reiterated this commitment after winning the general election.
However, some supporters of the legislative change worry that the Prime Minister might delay action, opting instead to wait for a private member’s bill to be introduced in the House of Commons. A ballot for MPs is scheduled for September.
Falconer emphasized Starmer’s dedication to ensuring parliamentary time for an assisted dying bill but noted that a Commons bill would be a “much more certain route” than one originating in the Lords.
“There are several MPs eager to advance this issue if they succeed in the ballot,” Falconer stated.
“This is a significant social reform with a strong chance of success. It’s a bill that an MP would be remembered for. Even if it’s not my bill, I want to see this through. There is a sense now that the stars are aligned, and a bill will pass in one form or another.”
Lord Falconer
Falconer’s proposed bill seeks to grant terminally ill, mentally competent adults the option of assisted dying, in addition to high-quality end-of-life care.
The legislation requires individuals to meet stringent eligibility criteria, be evaluated by two independent doctors, and self-administer the medication if their request is approved.
Critics have pointed out that the bill restricts assisted dying to terminally ill patients, excluding those with incurable conditions like multiple sclerosis or locked-in syndrome.
“My bill is designed for those who will die in the near future,” Falconer explained. “I don’t believe the state should assist people who are not terminally ill in ending their lives.”
Currently, assisting someone in ending their life is a criminal offense in England and Wales, carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
Efforts to legalize assisted dying are also underway in Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Jersey.
The Commons last voted on the issue in 2015, when a motion to legalize assisted dying was defeated by 330 votes to 118.
However, there has been a notable shift in opinion among MPs since then, and the recent general election might have resulted in a Commons majority in favor of changing the law.
Public Support For Assisted Dying
Public opinion has consistently favored legalizing assisted dying. A March survey of 10,000 people found that 75% supported assisted dying, while 14% opposed it.
Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, remarked, “Assisted dying is a movement whose time has come.”
“The Prime Minister has doubled down on his promise to make time for this debate, and dying people will hold him accountable; they simply cannot afford to wait. With reform advancing in the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Scotland, we are on the brink of historic change across the British Isles.”
Sarah Wootton
In a recent development, a bill to permit assisted dying passed its third reading in the Isle of Man’s House of Keys. The bill now moves to the upper house, which cannot block it but may propose amendments.
The Isle of Man’s bill allows assisted dying for terminally ill, mentally competent individuals who have resided on the island for at least five years.
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