Wera Hobhouse MP: We can’t keep shying away from it – it’s time we had an open and honest conversation about legalising Assisted Dying

It’s clear the tide is turning when it comes to legalising assisted dying

Wera Hobhouse is the Liberal Democrat MP for Bath

In every constituency – from St Ives to Inverness – people support changing the law to legalise assisted dying and help a loved one to maintain dignity in dying. With the public consensus on assisted dying having dramatically shifted in recent years, it’s time we took a fresh look at the assisted dying debate.

My own perspective on assisted dying has changed considerably in the last few years. Following discussions with experts, terminally ill patients and their loved ones, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on what this change in the law could mean for those facing unimaginable pain at the end of their lives. While there are many arguments on either side of the debate, what is clear is that we must allow time for them to be heard.

As Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is set to be debated in Parliament in the coming weeks, assessing whether assisted dying should be legalised is at the forefront of many people’s minds. The Bill is expected to allow mentally competent, terminally ill adults with six months or less left to live the right to choose to end their lives with medical help. It’s only right that we should make time to give the proposal ample consideration. 

The Bill adds to the growing consensus we have witnessed in recent months for a new, open and honest dialogue on legalising assisted dying to be had. At the beginning of this year, the Health and Social Care Committee released a report deeming it likely for Jersey and the Isle of Man to pass new laws to allow assisted dying. This sparked a spate of calls – including my own – for the government to review its own position on legalising assisted dying across the UK. 

A few months later, a petition gaining over 200,000 signatures led to a Westminster Hall debate calling once again on the government to hold a vote on legalising assisted dying. I made sure to voice my position, along with the perspectives of my constituents, loud and clear in the debate. My constituency, Bath, is the second most supportive constituency in the UK for legalising assisted dying, with 83% of the city being in favour of a change in the law. 

It’s clear the tide is turning when it comes to legalising assisted dying. The public are already at the helm of this debate; it’s therefore vital that their decision-makers properly consider this growing consensus. 

While the assisted dying debate can be polarising, there are credible and convincing concerns on both sides. I’m under no illusion – this is an incredibly sensitive issue that requires much reflection, and I truly appreciate that some people are hesitant about changing the law. It’s important to stress, only a very limited change in the law is being proposed; one that gives terminally ill, mentally competent adults suffering in immense pain dignity in dying. For many, the proposed change in the law will act as nothing more than an insurance policy.

As a Christian, I embarked on my own journey before confirming my stance on assisted dying, wrestling with and reflecting on what is truly best and compassionate for terminally ill people nearing the end of their lives. It is my belief that we should not prolong a life in agony and rather, we ought to empower terminally ill people to have autonomy as they near the end of their lives. Personally, this means giving terminally ill people the choice to have a compassionate and dignified death if that is what they desire, though I understand that not everyone shares this perspective. 

That is why, instead of shying away from this incredibly emotive and difficult conversation, I believe we must address it head-on, together. It’s time we had an open and honest conversation about legalising Assisted Dying and I welcome the beginning of this with Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults Bill.