Labour MP vows to push for assisted dying vote in new private members’ bill
6 September 2024, 18:00
A Labour backbencher has told LBC he plans to push legislation on the legalisation of assisted dying in an upcoming private members’ bill.
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MP for Rother Valley Jake Richards told LBC’s Aggie Chambré that Britain must move on from its “archaic laws” on assisted dying after he was drawn in the ballot of private members’ bills.
He said: “I think it is time we changed what are pretty archaic laws, laws that haven't been changed for sixty years now to give people more choice about how they end their lives.
“Lots of people have loved ones and family members who have suffered unnecessarily at the end of their lives.”
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Mr Richards believes that if the bill is introduced, Sir Keir Starmer’s government will take the time to discuss it.
He added: “We need to work out a way to make sure parliament grapples with this issue.
“And it should be said that the prime minister has promised that his government will give this issue time and I expect him to do so.”
Speaking to the Times, Richards said: “I’ve campaigned for reforms to assisted dying laws for many years, and immediately upon finding out my name had been picked I was determined to bring this bill forward.”
Senior members of the Labour Party have hinted at a move to legalise assisted dying, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting saying “time has come” for a debate on the issue.
Nathan Stilwell, from campaign group My Death, My Decision, agreed, saying: “This is likely to be the first step in changing the law to give adults a compassionate and dignified choice at the end of their lives.”
However, any push to legalise assisted dying is likely to face stern opposition, specifically from religious groups.
Ross Hendry, chief executive of Christian Action, Research and Education, said assisted dying “undermines human dignity and puts vulnerable groups at greater risk of abuse and harm”.
He continued: “UK politicians should ensure that investment and infrastructure are in place to ensure high-quality palliative care for all people. The UK has huge work to do in this area, given a chronic underfunding of this aspect of healthcare.
“We’d also emphasise the need to enhance suicide prevention, and work towards a society where all lives are considered.”
