Uncategorized

Government Cannot Ignore Assisted Dying Reform After King’s Speech Silence

Image of the Big Ben clock face

The Government has failed democracy by missing the opportunity to set out a path forward for assisted dying reform in the King’s Speech, despite consistent, overwhelming public support and repeated votes in favour of change in the House of Commons. My Death My Decision said the omission will prolong the suffering of terminally ill people and their families, by leaving Parliament without a clear route forward after the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was blocked in the House of Lords earlier this year.

Dr Graham Winyard CBE , Co-Chair at My Death, My Decision, said:

“Dying people and their loved ones will be bitterly disappointed that theGovernment has chosen not to act.

The House of Commons made its view clear. MPs backed change. The public back change. But instead of doing what was asked of them and enabling the Bill to pass, a small number of peers resorted to procedural tactics and endless amendments to run down the clock until the legislation fell.

That is not scrutiny. It is obstruction.

The Government now has a responsibility to ensure the democratic will of the elected House is respected and that terminally ill adults are not abandoned yet again.”

My Death, My Decision said today’s King’s Speech must not mark the end of assisted dying reform this Parliament, and called for urgent action to ensure legislation can return swiftly.

The campaign group is urging:

  • MPs supportive of reform to publicly commit to bringing the Bill back at the earliest opportunity;
  • The Government to provide sufficient parliamentary time for proper debate and scrutiny;
  • If the House of Lords tries to delay the Bill again, the Parliament Act to be used to ensure the Bill, as supported by elected MPs, becomes law.

Graham Winyard added:

“The need for this legislation is not going away, and the public is only growing more vocal with their frustration and outrage at how this issue was treated in the House of Lords. Over recent months, we have heard heartbreaking testimony from dying people, grieving families, and campaigners who are frankly fed up with being spoken about as though they are victims who don’t know their own minds. This campaign is for those people who deserve better than delay and parliamentary gamesmanship.

The next step must now be clear: bring the Bill back, allow Parliament to do its job properly, and finally give terminally ill adults the choice and compassion they deserve.”

Attention will now turn to the next Private Members’ Bill ballot, currently expected on 21 May, with campaigners urging supportive MPs to back fresh efforts to reintroduce assisted dying legislation at the earliest possible opportunity.

Notes to editors:

For media enquiries, please contact Kerry.hogan@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or call 07922363248.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.

Members of the team and people with personal stories are available for interview.

Read more

Democracy failed today. The Lords “let down the hopes of the nation” as the Assisted Dying Bill falls

Today, we raised a half-mast flag saying “Democracy Failed” outside Parliament as the Assisted Dying Bill fell in the House of Lords, marking what we believe is a shameful outcome and a Bill blocked by a handful of peers.

Louise Shackleton held the flag on behalf of dying people and families who have been failed by the current law. Louise accompanied her husband, Antony, to Dignitas in 2024 after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, because the law here denied them the choice they needed at home. 

Louise Shackleton said:

“I am sad for all the terminally ill people that this bill was designed to protect, people who desperately want to live but who have terminal illnesses and face uncertainty and painful deaths. The British public wants this. The House of Commons voted for it. The Bill had momentum, and it should have been decided properly. Instead, we have been left heartbroken; all those words spoken and no decisions made. This is not democracy. This Bill must come back as soon as possible.”

Dave Sowry, Co-Chair of My Death, My Decision, accompanied his wife Christy to Dignitas in 2022, said:

“The case for change was made, but the Bill still fell. We do not accept that this is a fair outcome. It was blocked by a handful of opponents who have stopped the majority of the House of Lords from doing its job.

They didn’t win the argument, and they didn’t win the vote because, despite all their talking, no vote was held.

We are heartbroken and angry, but we are not done. There is nothing humane about a system that forces some people to suffer at the end of their lives without choice. 

The public now looks to MPs to make good their decision to change the law.”

Lord Markham said he is sorry that the House of Lords has “let down the hopes of the nation”. Speaking powerfully on the day that the Terminally Ill Adults Bill fell:

“This Bill has had plenty of time compared to other bills, but the House of Lords has just not chosen to use that time wisely. The reputation of the Lords is poorer for it. My true regret is that we let down 70% of the British population who support assisted dying, who saw the House of Commons pass the Bill, and don’t understand how the Lords can block it without even a vote. But most of all, I am sorry to those people who are terminally ill, for whom the Assisted Dying Bill held out the promise of a safe, humane and pain-free death of their own choosing. The current law does not protect people; it abandons them.

I know I speak for many, many of our colleagues here, that we will try, we will try, and we will try again to bring this Bill back as soon as possible in the next session to do what is right democratically and most importantly of all: to give those people who are terminally ill hope and choice of a better way to die.”

Many other peers, including Lord Baker of Dorking, Baroness Hayman and Baroness Harding of Winscombe, also spoke to share their frustration that the Lords have not completed their scrutiny.

Images from today show the flag raised to half-mast against the backdrop of Parliament, alongside campaigners holding placards and photographs of loved ones, underlining the real human cost of delay.

Today will be the final debate in this parliamentary session. At 15:00, when the debate finishes, the Bill will have fallen. It will officially fall when Parliament is prorogued. 

The House of Lords Committee stage of the debate has surpassed the word count of Leo Tolstoy’s epic novel War and Peace. Over 75 hours of debate, totalling 607,077 words, have led to only three minor changes to the Bill.

 The Parliament Act can be used to bypass the Lords and enact the Bill.

Notes to editors:

For media enquiries, please contact Kerry.hogan@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or call 07922363248.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.

Members of the team and people with personal stories are available for interview.

Read more

“Dying people are paying the price” – rally at Parliament as Assisted Dying Bill nears collapse

Campaigners, those affected by the current status quo, and bereaved families supported by My Death, My Decision gathered outside Parliament this week to call for greater choice and compassion at the end of life. This comes as the Terminally Ill Adults Bill is expected to fall in the House of Lords on Friday.

The rally, held on Wednesday 22nd April, brought together individuals living with terminal illness alongside families who have supported loved ones through end-of-life decisions under the current law. Many attending have direct experience of the consequences of the current legal framework, including travelling abroad for a loved one’s assisted death or witnessing prolonged and painful deaths.

Supporters travelled from across the UK to attend, reflecting the strength of feeling at the Bill falling. Images from the rally show campaigners holding placards and photographs of loved ones, highlighting the real cost of inaction and the need for change.

Hannah Slater, a 38-year-old living with a terminal illness, attended the rally. She said:

“The Bill has already been passed by the elected House of Commons, and yet it now looks set to fall because a small handful of Lords have blocked it for months. That is not democratic.”

“I have stage four breast cancer, which has spread to my brain and my eye. I’ve already lost the vision in one eye, and I’ve lost so much independence, but I still want the chance to make the decision that feels right for me and my family.”

“I have a three-year-old son who I love very much, and I am very much invested in living for as long as possible. But I also want dignity, choice and compassion when that time comes.”

Dame Prue Leith, who is a Patron of My Death, My Decision and a campaigner for assisted dying reform, said:

“The House of Lords is there to scrutinise legislation and improve it, not to block it. What has happened to the Assisted Dying Bill is undemocratic and utterly disgraceful. A small handful of peers have flooded the process with amendments and run down the clock, leaving dying people to pay the price.

I became involved in assisted dying because I watched my brother die of bone cancer. He was in terrible pain and begging to die, but the doctors would not give him enough morphine because they were frightened it might hasten his death. He was dying anyway. I remember thinking: where is the compassion? 

The Bill may fall this week, but this campaign will not. The public are behind this, and we will come back”

Dave Sowry, Co-Chair of My Death, My Decision, said:

“Almost a year ago we were in Parliament Square full of a sense of relief that the democratically elected House of Commons had had the courage to pass the assisted dying bill. Sadly we were back today as the Bill is about to be blocked in the House of Lords. They didn’t win the argument because the argument is on our side. They didn’t win any vote because they didn’t allow one to be taken. The truth is that the evidence is overwhelmingly on our side. Public opinion is overwhelmingly on our side.

But sadly, time is not on the side of the people here today, and those around the country who are faced with a terminal illness and won’t be able to benefit from a change in the law.  It’s those people and others who have already sadly died, who could have benefitted from having the option of an assisted death, and those, like my wife Christy, who chose and was able to travel to Dignitas. It’s for those people that we gathered today.

We heard days upon days of debate in the House of Lords with hardly a mention of the people the Bill is designed to help. It’s those people’s voices who need to be heard. We will not be put off, we must not be put off. We will continue to fight for those voices to be heard and to fight for a compassionate law.

Campaigners said the rally marks just one step in a continued push for reform, warning that without change, more families will be forced to endure the same experiences.

The Bill is expected to run out of time on Friday 24th April, with a small number of Peers blocking a change to the law on assisted dying. The sponsors of the Bill, supported by a number of MPs, are organising to bring the Bill back in the next Parliamentary session. 

Notes to editors:

Media can use the following press images and videos, as long as they are attributed to “My Death, My Decision”.

For further comment or information, media should contact Kerry Hogan at kerry.hogan@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07922363248. (media only)

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe and compassionate assisted death.

 

Read more

Stand with us for assisted dying reform

Join us in Parliament Square on Wednesday, 22 April.

We will gather alongside our coalition partners at Humanists UK to show that this movement will not be silenced by delay.

This is a critical moment, but it is not the end.

Just two days later, on Friday 24 April, the bill faces its final session in the House of Lords, when it will almost certainly fall. If it falls, it is not because support has disappeared, but because a small number of peers have used procedure and prolonged debate to run down the clock.

Dying people and their loved ones have fought too hard, and waited too long, for this moment to simply pass. If Parliament fails them now, we will not go away.

We are angry, and we know many others are too. If you have shared our frustration as this bill is delayed and talked out, we need you to show up if you can.

Date: Wednesday 22 April
Time: 9 AM to 12 PM
Where: Parliament Square, Westminster, SW1P 3JX
Meeting point: Meet at the Winston Churchill statue
Closest station: Westminster

Please RSVP today.

We are the many, not the few.
If a handful of unelected peers block this bill by running down the clock, we will not accept it, and we will not stop.

Bring your voice, bring your energy, and bring a homemade poster if you can. We will also have placards available on the day. Rally your friends and help us show Parliament that this movement will not be silenced by delay.

Read more

Support our Crowdfunder to keep up the fight for assisted dying reform

MPs have backed assisted dying reform, but the Bill still faces the risk of being blocked in the House of Lords. We have launched a new Crowdfunder to help keep up the fight.

My Death, My Decision has launched a new Crowdfunder to help keep up the fight for choice, dignity and compassion at the end of life. The campaign aims to raise £10,000 by 5th June.

A Bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales has already been backed by MPs, but it still faces the risk of being blocked. As our Crowdfunder page explains, a small group of peers in the House of Lords continues to delay the Bill with a huge number of amendments and a painfully slow debate. If they succeed in running down the clock, the Bill will simply fall.

That is why this Crowdfunder matters.

We are a small grassroots campaign with a big task. Right now, our team is responding to political developments, briefing supporters, engaging the media, organising public campaigning, and making sure the voices of terminally ill people and families are heard. But public support alone is not enough, and the truth is that this work takes money.

Your support will help us keep going at the level this moment demands, and help fund the work needed both now and in the weeks ahead.

Your donation will help our small team keep this campaign moving, from supporter emails and digital campaigning to media work, rallies, campaign materials and the behind-the-scenes organising needed to keep pressure on Parliament.

This campaign is also about real people.

One of the people backing the appeal is Clare Turner, who lives in Devon and was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2021. Clare wants the choice of an assisted death if her suffering becomes too much, and wants to protect her daughters from witnessing a long and painful death. As she says, “I shouldn’t be preoccupied with the fear of how much I am going to suffer as I die or how awful the experience will be for my daughters to witness. To be swamped with fear as you die is just so cruel.”

The public has consistently been clear where it stands. British Social Attitudes findings showing 79% support for assisted dying in cases of terminal illness, and also references polling showing 83% say the Bill should be brought back in the next parliamentary session if it runs out of time.

If you believe terminally ill adults deserve more choice at the end of life, please donate today. And if you cannot donate right now, sharing the Crowdfunder will still make a real difference. You can support the appeal here: Help us protect and assisted dying Bill at risk

Read more

Success! Island of Jersey passes historic Assisted Dying Law

The island of Jersey has passed its historic Assisted Dying Law, after States Members voted in favour by 32 votes to 16. My Death, My Decision, a member of the Assisted Dying Coalition alongside End of Life Choices Jersey, welcomes this historic moment, and urges the rest of the UK to move forward in confidence with passing safe, compassionate assisted dying legislation. 

Dave Sowry, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:

‘Massive congratulations to the States Assembly of Jersey for having a debate that was rooted in compassion and empathy. Politicians did an excellent job putting themselves in the shoes of the terminally ill, and they should be proud of the respectful debate they had.

‘I wish we could say the same of the debate on assisted dying happening in Westminster, which is currently facing a filibuster by a small group of members of the House of Lords, who are adamantly opposed to the law change. The Tynwald in the Isle of Man voted in favour of assisted dying, now the States Assembly in Jersey has followed suit, will the terminally ill people of England and Wales be left behind?’

The debate:
The States Assembly began by debating a series of amendments to the Draft Legislation, many recommended by the Review Panel. These amendments include both principled changes to the draft law, such as allowing waiver of future consent, and practical changes, such as replacing one of the doctors if they can’t continue assessing.

Deputy Louise Doublet, States Assembly member, said:

‘This is one of the most meaningful things we can do for our island. Death is never an easy thing, but it’s something everyone will face. If we can improve this legislation today, which has extremely rigorous and robust safeguards and principles underpinning it, we can be really proud of it as an Assembly.

‘It is a compassionate gift we are giving our island. As a humanist, I am guided by principles of compassion… It will make some really difficult moments in people’s lives a little bit less painful.’ 

Deputy Helen Miles, States Assembly member, said: 

‘I do not share the theological view that the timing and manner of death must be determined by divine authority; others in this assembly do hold that belief, and I do respect that sincerity and the integrity with which they argued their case. But we legislate for a plural society, and within that society, competent adults must be permitted to make deeply personal decisions about their own lives.

‘I have been thinking of Jersey man Alain Du Chemin, who came and addressed the Citizens jury in April 2021. He was terminally ill, and he asked, “What makes anybody think that they have the right to force me to die in a particular way that I don’t want?” That question has echoed throughout this process. And today, the Assembly is going to answer.

‘Today we have the opportunity to improve dignity at the end of life.’

 What happens next?

The Law will now go to the Privy Council for Royal Assent. The Assisted Dying Bill in the Isle of Man has been awaiting Royal Assent for nearly a year. This has the potential to cause a democratic crisis

The Assisted Dying Law will not come into force for another 18 months, likely late summer 2027.

How does it compare to the Terminally Ill Adults Bill in Westminster?

Several elements are almost identical in both Bills. The applicant must:

  • Be an adult.
  • Be terminally ill.
  • Have a clear mental capacity and a settled wish to die.
  • Be assessed by two independent doctors.
  • Be ordinarily resident for at least 12 months in the relevant jurisdiction.
  • Be able to withdraw or cancel at any point along the way.

Both Bills introduce new criminal offences for abuse of the system as well as conscientious objection or a ‘right to refuse’ protections for healthcare professionals.

However, there are some core differences between the two Bills:

  • Both Bills are for people with six months left to live or fewer, but the Jersey Bill allows people with a neurodegenerative condition like motor neurone disease to apply if they have twelve months left to live.
  • The Jersey Bill includes a subjective suffering element: the person believes they cannot bear the suffering the condition is causing (or is expected to cause).
  • In addition to the two doctors, the Westminster Bill requires the applicant to be approved by a panel of a social worker, a lawyer, and a psychiatrist; the Jersey Bill does not require this.
  • The Jersey Bill has one 14-day reflection period that can be overridden if the person will die imminently. The Westminster Bill has two reflection periods, the first is seven days, the second is 14 days; only the second can be overridden.

History of change on assisted dying in Jersey
There is a clear democratic mandate for assisted dying in Jersey.

In 2018, 1,861 Jersey residents signed a petition calling for the States Assembly to allow for assisted dying. In 2019, there was an online public survey, a GP and doctors’ survey, and a public meeting, and these all indicated strong support in the community for assisted dying. This led to the Jersey Assisted Dying Citizens’ Jury, a world-class democratic project, and its report and recommendations in 2021 overwhelmingly supported assisted dying. Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson gave oral evidence to the citizens’ jury.

Notes

Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request

For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033. (media only)

Media can use the following press images and videos, as long as they are attributed to “My Death, My Decision”.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.

Read more

Senedd backs fairness and choice for dying people as assisted dying motion passes

The Senedd has voted in favour of the Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ,28 votes in favour, 23 against, 2 abstentions. My Death, My Decision has welcomed today’s vote in the Senedd, and hopes that the Westminster Parliament sees it as a vote of confidence in the Assisted Dying Bill 

The vote does not change the criminal law on assisted dying, but confirms that the Welsh Government should be able to design and oversee its own implementation of the law, rooted in Welsh values, language, and healthcare structures.

However, due to a concerted filibustering effort in the House of Lords, with a record number of amendments to the Bill, it looks almost certain that the Bill will not pass this Parliamentary session. This means the Bill will need to be brought back in a future session.

Gemma Williams, from Carmarthenshire, has lived with multiple sclerosis (MS) for more than 20 years. She supports the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and backs terminally ill people having a choice. She said:

‘I’m so proud of the Welsh Parliament today. I watched family members die an awful death, and as someone who has lived with MS for over twenty years, I know the importance of feeling safe, respected, and in control of my own care. Giving Wales the power to tailor how the law works will protect people like me and will hopefully ensure no one has to go through what my family did.’

Graham Winyard, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:

‘This decision puts fairness and dignity first. Assisted dying will still be accompanied by some of the strongest safeguards anywhere in the world, but thanks to this vote, Wales can now make sure those safeguards work properly for Welsh patients, families, and clinicians.

All eyes now return to Westminster, where a small cohort of the House of Lords is currently using game-playing and procedural tactics to put the Assisted Dying Bill in jeopardy. They cannot be allowed to frustrate the will of the public, the Commons and the Senedd.’

What is the Legislative Consent Motion (LCM)?

The LCM concerns a small number of clauses inserted into the Bill to ensure Wales can shape its own implementation of assisted dying. These include:

  • Making sure people can give information, have assessments, and get reports in Welsh,
  • Letting Welsh Ministers give guidance that fits the needs of Welsh communities,
  • Allowing the Welsh healthcare system (including NHS Wales) to provide assisted deaths,
  • Making sure Wales is involved in checking the system and reporting on how it works.

Notes

74% of Welsh people support a change in the law. Support is broad-based across all major political parties.

Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request

For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033. (media only)

Media can use the following press images and videos, as long as they are attributed to “My Death, My Decision”.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.

 

Read more

Isle of Man’s assisted dying Bill Royal Assent delay would cause democratic crisis

The Isle of Man’s Assisted Dying Bill may lead to a democratic crisis, campaigners have warned, as Royal Assent has not been given 11 months after the Bill passed its final stage in Tynwald. The Assisted Dying Coalition is calling on the Ministry of Justice not to thwart the democratic will of the Isle of Man, and to resolve all issues and grant Royal Assent as soon as possible.

The Bill, introduced by Dr Alex Allinson MHK, passed its final stage in Tynwald on 25 March 2025 and was then submitted for Royal Assent. It will allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill, with a life expectancy of 12 months or fewer and at least five years’ residency on the Island, to request an assisted death under strict safeguards. 

Chief Minister Alfred Cannan, who voted against the legislation, told the House of Keys, the parliament’s lower chamber, that the delay stems from queries raised by Westminster’s Ministry of Justice regarding the Bill’s implementation and safeguards. In December, a UK Government minister said:

‘The UK Government is currently in the process of reviewing the Isle of Man’s Assisted Dying Bill as part of our constitutional responsibilities towards the Crown Dependencies. The Lord Chancellor is responsible for making a recommendation as to whether Crown Dependency primary legislation should receive Royal Assent.’

Cannan suggested that if the Bill had not achieved Royal Assent before the end of the session, the Bill would fail, but advice from the Clerk of Tynwald said Manx politicians will be asked to sign the Bill before the end of this administration, and it can still achieve Royal Assent without failing.

Speaker Juan Watterson confirmed that adjustments could still be made to the Bill under standing orders if required. 

If passed, an implementation phase will follow, including secondary legislation, clinical guidance, and oversight arrangements. Assisted dying could be available to eligible Manx residents from around 2027. 

The delay between the Bill passing and Royal assent is longer than usual. Many recent Acts of Tynwald receive Royal Assent on the same day they are signed, and even more complex laws like the Landlord Registration (Private Housing) Act 2021 faced a gap of under five months. A near-year interval for the Assisted Dying Bill is therefore unusually long compared to recent Acts, but not without precedent.

In England and Wales, the fate of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is in jeopardy after the Bill received a record number of amendments in the House of Lords and debate continued at a record pace, which has been described as a clear filibuster.

Nathan Stilwell, Chair of the Assisted Dying Coalition, said:

‘The Manx public and their elected politicians have been clear: people who are dying should have the right to control the manner and timing of their death. For terminally ill people, this will mean less fear, less suffering, and more control at the end of life.

‘There is no excuse for Westminster to delay the democratic will of the Isle of Man’s parliament. Every month they stall, more dying people are forced to endure needless suffering or travel abroad to die.’

Vicky Christian, campaigner for My Death, My Decision Isle of Man, part of the Coalition, said:

‘The people of the Isle of Man want this legislation, and the MHKs voted for it. For it to be delayed at this late stage would cause a democratic crisis and is extremely unfair towards terminally ill people on the Island.

‘For many families, simply knowing that this option exists would be an enormous comfort, even if they never choose to use it. It will end the cruel choice between an agonising death at home and a lonely death in another country. ’

Notes:

For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell, Chair of the Assisted Dying Coalition, at nathan@humanists.uk or phone 07456200033

About the Assisted Dying Coalition:

The Assisted Dying Coalition is the UK and Crown Dependencies’ coalition of organisations working for the legal recognition of assisted dying for terminally ill or incurably suffering adults with a clear and settled wish to die.  

Members include:

Humanists UK

At Humanists UK, we want a tolerant world where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We work to support lasting change for a better society, championing ideas for the one life we have.

My Death, My Decision

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots not-for-profit organisation that campaigns for a balanced and compassionate approach to assisted dying in England and Wales. We have a group in Northern Ireland, Wales, and the Isle of Man

Humanist Society Scotland

Scotland’s national humanist charity. We are a member-powered organisation campaigning to make Scotland a more secular, rational, and socially just country.

Friends at the End

Friends at the End is a Scottish Charity promoting knowledge and understanding of end of life choices and campaigning to change the law to allow Assisted Dying.

End of Life Choices Jersey

End of Life Choices Jersey campaigns for a compassionate assisted dying law for people who are incurably, intolerably suffering, for Jersey residents.

Read more

British Social Attitudes survey: Public support for assisted dying is holding firm, even as the Lords drags it out

A magnifying glass focuses on a row of small wooden pegs that represent the populationNew data from the British Social Attitudes survey shows public support for assisted dying in cases of terminal illness remains high and stable, even after a year of intense debate in both the Commons and the House of Lords.

British Social Attitudes has tracked views on assisted dying for decades, and the most recent study finds the balance of opinion has been consistent over time. The latest survey by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) found that 79% of respondents felt assisted dying should be allowed.

This new data comes as debate in the House of Lords continues to grind on at a glacial pace, with a small group of Peers determined to undermine the settled and longstanding opinions of the public. According to this long-standing research, the public “largely seems to have made its mind up in favour of change a long time ago.”

While the public are clear on their support of assisted dying, Humanists UK and My Death My Decision have identified several instances of peers being equally clear that they are trying to block the Bill by means other than it being voted down. 

New polling from More in Common, also released this week, suggests the public is losing patience with delay tactics in the House of Lords. More than four in five Britons (83%) say that the assisted dying bill should be introduced again in the next session of Parliament if it runs out of time.

Graham Winyard, Co-chair of My Death, My Decision said:

“The British Social Attitude survey underlines what we have seen consistently: the public supports giving terminally ill people choice at the end of life, with strong safeguards. Parliament must ensure this issue is debated properly and brought to a  conclusion that reflects the overwhelming opinion of the public. People who are dying do not have time for endless delay.

Notes

British Social Attitudes is NatCen’s long-running study tracking public attitudes in Britain. More in Common’s polling cited above is published in full on its website. 

Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request

For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033. (media only)

Media can use the following press images and videos, as long as they are attributed to “My Death, My Decision”.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.

 

Read more

TAKE ACTION: Sign petition to tell the Lords not to block Assisted Dying Bill

Sophie Blake, a 52-year-old mother with stage four breast cancer, has launched a petition calling on ‘the Government to do everything in its power to ensure that when bills are supported by MPs & the public, they have the time to complete all their stages in Parliament.’ The petition comes in response to the House of Lords’ filibustering, essentially talking out legislation so that it fails, of the Assisted Dying Bill. Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision are calling on everyone to sign the petition and show the Government that a small group of unelected peers should not be able to frustrate the will of the public and the elected House of Commons.

The petition says:

Act to ensure Bills backed by MPs & public can complete all stages in Parliament

We want the Government to do everything in its power to ensure that when bills are supported by MPs & the public, they have the time to complete all their stages in Parliament. We believe this is important to uphold democracy.

We believe the decision of MPs must be respected, especially on matters of social change, and that unelected Lords have a responsibility to scrutinise bills, not block them. With over 1,000 amendments tabled to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, most by just a handful of Lords, we are concerned that it will run out of time. MPs have voted for it and a poll has found over 70% of the public back it. While the Government is neutral, it must uphold democracy. We believe it must act so the Bill can progress.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is currently at the Committee Stage in the House of Lords, where a record number of amendments have been tabled, and the debate has continued at a glacial pace, making it now nearly impossible to pass. The Bill must pass all remaining stages in the House of Lords before the end of the parliamentary session in May or it fails, and peers have only debated 25 groups of amendments out of over 80. 

An early day motion tabled this week from Andrew George MP, highlighting the filibuster tactics in the House of Lords, has already received 31 signatures from MPs. The motion says:

‘That this House believes that the use of filibuster tactics in the House of Lords to frustrate the majority will of the democratically elected House of Commons is unacceptable, including where the elected Commons has given its majority support to a Private Members’ Bill; further believes that the case for the outright abolition of the House of Lords and its replacement would be strengthened if such tactics were used; acknowledges that, although the House of Lords often provides a helpful role through scrutinising and suggesting constructive revisions to bills, it should not have the power to block them, nor to use its procedures to the same effect; and calls on the Government to take legislative steps to ensure that Private Members’ Bills backed by a majority in the elected House can never be defeated by undemocratic means in the House of Lords.’

Hannah Slater, a 38-year-old mum of a three-year-old, is living with terminal breast cancer and wants the choice of an assisted death. She said:

‘It’s unfair and frustrating to people like me who want a better and safer death through assisted dying. We’re stuck in limbo while the compassionate choice of assisted dying continues to be blocked by the Lords.’

Dave Sowry, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:

‘A few members of the House of Lords are shamelessly playing games because they are against the Bill as a matter of principle. It is not a game; it’s people’s lives which are at stake. People who are suffering at the end of their life deserve to be treated with respect and given a choice that the option of an assisted death would provide.

Our elected politicians have spoken – they supported Assisted Dying with an absolute majority. The Government should facilitate getting this Bill into law so that MPs’ votes are not undermined.’

 

Notes

Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request

For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033. (media only)

Media can use the following press images and videos, as long as they are attributed to “My Death, My Decision”.

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.

Read more