Kim Leadbetter’s Bill has passed through the House of Commons and will now be debated in the House of Lords. The first such debate will be on Tuesday 7th September. In theory, the Bill could face total defeat in the House of Lords. That is unlikely but some further amendments should be expected. These are… Continue reading Progress through the House of Lords
Until last week it was possible to hope that Donald Trump might actually support the twelve American States where assisted dying has been made legal. Not any more. Commenting on the Terminally Ill Adults Bill that had just been passed by the House of Commons, he said Britain now stood for “surrender and death”. The… Continue reading “Britain stands for surrender and death”
Why on earth should Assisted Dying in the UK cost £15,000 per case whilst the most expensive provider in Switzerland, Dignitas, charges only £10,300 ? Over the weekend of the 21st and 22nd June 2025 the British newspapers and TV channels were full of reports that the forthcoming Assisted Dying law in England and Wales… Continue reading Staggering cost
The UK Bill to legalise Assisted Dying in England and Wales was today (Friday 20th June 2025) passed by the House of Commons. The Ayes were 314 and the Noes were 291. The majority of 23 therefore represented 3.8% of those voting. The total of 605 was 93% of the 650 MPs who could have… Continue reading Assisted Dying Bill passes crucial stage
The UK Bill to legalise Assisted Dying in England and Wales will receive its final vote in the House of Commons on Friday 20th June. It is going to be close. According to the campaigners against it, 18 MPs have changed their minds since last November’s vote in favour. That is not enough to remove… Continue reading UK would ban adverts for Assisted Dying
This website has received a number of enquiries about the recent changes to Oregon’s laws on Assisted Dying. On the face of things, Oregon has opened its doors to foreigners who want to travel there for help to end their lives. Well, yes they have – but it’s not so simple as that. Following a… Continue reading Oregon’s choices widen – slightly
The French National Assembly has voted to support a Bill that would allow assisted voluntary suicide. It passed by 305 votes to 199 with 57 abstentions. The vote in favour, 61% of those present, was notably greater than the 55% who supported the British equivalent in November 2024. This, understandably, has given great encouragement to… Continue reading France votes in favour
If yesterday’s debate in the House of Commons had been a football match, it would have been a nil nil draw. This was the Report Stage of the Bill’s progress. After approving the Bill in principle last November, the House had set up a Committee to scrutinise its contents “line by line”. Yesterday was when… Continue reading Assisted Dying Bill – Report Stage
This evening’s vote, by 70 to 56, in the Scottish Parliament to continue with their support of Liam McArthur MSP’s Bill to legalise Assisted Dying will be the cause of many a sigh of relief amongst right-to-die campaigners on both sides of the border. At times during the debate, it rather felt as though the… Continue reading Success in Scotland
UK opinion polls for the past five years have consistently shown majority support for Assisted Dying. Most recently the figures have been between 70% and 80%. It is therefore puzzling that the success or failure of the current Bill going through the House of Commons should be considered a matter of touch and go when… Continue reading Public opinion vs Political inertia
