Dear
SPUC supporter,
,
The first day of debate of the Leadbeater assisted suicide bill in the Lords has just drawn to a close, and I wanted to send you a quick update on how it went.
I am very encouraged by the quality of much of the debate, as well as the fact that peers stood to oppose the Bill by about two to one. This first day of debate showed clearly that the Bill will not receive a quick rubber stamping in the Lords, as a large majority of speakers expressed concerns or outright opposed the Bill. By my calculations, 28 peers spoke in support of the Bill, with 60 leaning against it. Only three did not give a clear indication which side they came down on.
There were some very strong speeches on our side. Former Prime Minister Theresa May made a strong speech, one of many peers referring to the fact that this week is Suicide Prevention week. “Suicide is wrong,” she said. “This Bill effectively says suicide is ok. What message does this send to society? Suicide is wrong. This Bill is wrong, and in my opinion, it should not pass.”
Baroness Monckton of of Dallington Forest spoke of her fears for people with learning difficulties, such as her daughter Domenica, who has Down’s syndrome. She condemned the campaign group My Death My Decision, who sent a pamphlet to peers urging that no provisions be made for families to “interfere” with someone’s decision to seek death. Other moving personal testimonies included Lord Polak, who was given six months to live 37 years ago, and Baroness Prentis, who spoke about how her recent experience of being diagnosed with aggressive cancer has made her fear being a burden, despite being privileged in many ways.
On the subject of privilege, I was struck by how many of those speaking in support of the Bill failed to understand the reality of many people’s lives. Lord Dobbs was totally incredulous of the idea that families might coerce their relatives into “choosing” death, and several argued that it should pass because “it’s what I’d want for myself”. Then others gave away the true agenda of the pro-assisted suicide lobby, with Baroness Murphy bemoaning that the Bill has “too many safeguards” and calling for the eligibility criteria to be expanded.
Many peers also defended the right of the Lords to amend, or if necessary reject the Bill – a position confirmed by two select committees in the last few days.
Overall, the quality of the debate was rather higher than in the Commons. It was very encouraging to see how many peers opposed this bill, and expressed their intention to scrutinise it properly. Many referred to the large numbers of letters and emails they have been receiving expressing concerns about the Bill, and I really want to thank all our supporters who have been part of that effort. There’s still a long way to go, but today we can take heart that our efforts really do make a difference.
The debate continues next week, and then onto Committee and Report Stage, so do keep up writing to peers!
Have a great weekend,
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