Dear
SPUC supporter,
The two assisted suicide bills- the Leadbeater Bill in Westminster and the McArthur Bill in Scotland – have again been debated this week.
In Westminster, it was the second day (of four currently planned) of the Committee Stage in the House of Lords. Last week, the amendments debated focused on how the Bill applies to Wales and the role of the Senedd, and the distinction between capacity and ability. Today, the first (and only completed) grouping of amendments focused on coercion and pressure.
Dozens of peers raised serious real-world examples of people being subject to pressure and abuse. Baroness Finlay began the debate with a strong speech on this subject, recalling the case of a woman whose pain couldn’t be controlled with 1000mg of morphine. However, when the caregivers discovered that she had suffered years of abuse and took steps to alleviate the situation, she was able to leave with her pain controlled with 60mg of morphine. “Total abuse had caused total pain.”
Lord Debden raised that many Lords are speaking from a place of privilege, and cannot understand that many older people may be at risk from relatives in difficult circumstances for whom inheritance money would make a huge difference . "I was brought up in a slum parish by a clergyman,” he said. "This bill will change how we view old age and infirmity. I desperately want people to know they are valuable, that they have something to give even at the end of life... If we're going to have it, let's make sure people are protected not just from coercion but also encouragement" (e.g. a last opportunity to save a grandson's business or home life.)
However, supporters of the Bill seemed disinclined to properly consider these issues, with Baroness Hayter accusing proposers of wasting time. She also complained that no supporters of the Bill were speaking, despite there being nothing to prevent them from doing so. At the end of the debate, Lord Falconer dismissed most of the concerns raised, and didn’t accept any amendments.
In Scotland, Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is being examined by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament. The third session on Tuesday generally followed the pattern of previous weeks, with the Committee simply complying with Mr McArthur’s wishes. However, in an unexpected turn of events, a motion by Jeremy Balfour MSP calling for the treaty monitoring body on the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities to be consulted narrowly gained the backing of the Committee. Although a UN compliance committee has no legal authority, if concerns about the rights of people with disabilities were to be raised by an international body, it could seriously damage the credibility of Liam McArthur’s Bill.
You can read the full write up here.
There's definitely some encouraging signs in both Parliaments. In Westminster, peers are clearly very unhappy with the Bill, and there are currently only two days left of committee stage in which to improve it (though this could change). In Holyrood, MSPs not on the Committee are reportedly unhappy with how little consideration is being given to serious concerns, which could have important implications for when the Bill is next voted on. But we cannot be complavent, and need to keep up the pressure on politicians to reject both bills.
Contact Lords
Please contact members of the House of Lords, asking them to oppose the Leadbeater Bill. You can find all our resources on our campaign page. You can use our guide to writing to Lords to write a paper letter (always the most impactful option!) or use our webtool.
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For supporters living in Scotland, please contact your MSPs, asking them to oppose the McArthur Bill, and vote against it at Stage 3. We need just eight MSPs to switch their votes in order to defeat the Bill. It is therefore vital that we do all we can to lobby MSPs ahead of the next vote.
All our resources on lobbying MSPs, including a guide to doing so in person, and our online tool to contact them electronically, can be found on our campaign page. You can also order flyers to deliver door to door or distribute at churches.
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Alithea Williams
Public Policy Manager
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