Sunak ‘not opposed’ to assisted dying as Esther Rantzen says MPs should get vote

Rishi Sunak has said he is “not opposed to” changing the law on assisted dying and would allow Parliament to have a free vote on it.

In his strongest comments yet on the issue, the Prime Minister said he is “not against it in principle” but said safeguards need to be in place to prevent abuse. It suggests that a vote to change the law is coming regardless of who wins the General Election – as Keir Starmer has also committed to allowing Parliament to have its say.

Assisted dying was last voted on in Parliament in 2015 but a bill to legalise the practice was defeated. Under existing law, relatives who help a person end their life could face up to 14 years in prison. New assisted dying laws have been proposed in Jersey and the Isle of Man in recent months.

Asked whether he would vote for a change in the law on assisted dying, Mr Sunak said: “The manifesto has language on this which is very clear: we will support what Parliament does, these matters are always an issue of conscience. Of course if Parliament wants to decide they want to facilitate it.

“What I’ve said before – I’m not opposed to it, in principle, and it’s a question of making sure the safeguards are in place and are effective. That’s always been the conversation and the debate in the past. I’m not against it in principle. It’s just a question of having the safeguards in place and that’s where people have had questions in the past.”

His comments were hailed by TV legend Dame Esther Rantzen, who has been campaigning to legalise assisted dying. The 83-year-old revealed last year that she has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and said she has joined the assisted-dying clinic Dignitas in Switzerland.

She told the Mirror: “It is great news that both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have now promised to allow time for this crucial debate, which means that it will happen whoever wins the election. I hope the next Prime Minister arranges for this to happen as soon as possible in the new Parliament for the sake of everyone who, like me, has a terminal diagnosis.

“We need to be given the confidence that when our time comes, our families will be left with good memories of our peaceful, pain-free death. That is what we would wish for anyone we love or care about.

“And it makes it even more vital that when our MPs are elected we must write to them straight away, stressing how crucial this issue is, and giving our reasons, to help them come to the right decision. It’s our life, it should be our choice.”

Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying, which is campaigning to change the law, said: “It’s clear that assisted dying is high on the political agenda and this debate is on the table no matter who leads our next Government. It is hugely significant that both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have promised they would make time for a proper debate and vote on assisted dying, and that neither are opposed to reform.”

She said it was a “watershed General Election” for dying people, who may be casting their final votes.

A poll for the Mirror earlier this year found an overwhelming majority of Brits support assisted dying. The survey by Deltapoll found 71% of voters backed making assisted dying legal in the UK while just 13% are opposed and 16% said they did not know.

But critics argue that changing the law could put unnecessary pressure on vulnerable people, who might feel like they are a burden to their families. There are also concerns about the impact on doctors who oppose the idea.

Baroness Hollins, President of the Catholic Union of Great Britain, said: “Results from a recent survey of Catholic Union members and supporters found overwhelming opposition to changing the law in England and Wales to allow for physician assisted suicide. The survey also found concerns that changing the law could make it harder for Catholics, and other people of faith, to enter the medical profession.”

Dr Gordon Macdonald, Chief Executive of Care Not Killing, which opposes changing the law: “The Prime Minister’s position on assisted suicide and euthanasia hasn’t changed and these new comments do not reflect a change in his stance. What they do show is that he recognises the difficulty in drafting robust legislation on this issue, because of what we see in the handful of jurisdictions that have introduced state assisted killing.

“Safeguards quickly removed and pressure put on disabled people, those with chronic conditions and mental health problems to be included. Furthermore, any change in the law would represent a dramatic change in how doctors and nurses treat and care for people.

“It would also place huge pressure, real or perceived on terminally ill and disabled people to end their lives exactly as we see in the handful of places that have legalised assisted suicide or euthanasia.”