UK church and pro-life leaders are urging lawmakers to reject the assisted dying bill, warning that it would put vulnerable people at risk. The bill, proposed by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, would allow terminally ill individuals in England and Wales to end their lives.
Bishop John Sherrington of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, emphasized that legalizing assisted suicide undermines human dignity and puts the most vulnerable at risk. He cited countries like Canada and Oregon, where euthanasia has been legalized, as cautionary examples.
The issue was last voted on in 2015 when it was overwhelmingly rejected. However, Prime Minister Keir Starmer personally supports a change in the law. Catholic peer David Alton warned of the “floodgates opening” if the law is passed, urging the government to focus on improving palliative care.
Alton referenced Holland and Canada, where euthanasia has led to premature deaths and increased discrimination against disabled people. Right to Life UK spokesperson Catherine Robinson stated that assisted suicide poses an “acute threat” to vulnerable individuals, especially within a struggling healthcare system.
The bill is set to be voted on 16 October. Church leaders and pro-life groups advocate for improved palliative care, hospice care, and upholding human dignity, rather than assisted suicide.
Esther Rantzen, a journalist with terminal cancer, has called for a vote on assisted suicide. However, critics argue that this would be a “disaster in waiting” for vulnerable people.