Legalising assisted suicide would lead to serious injustices against the most marginalised people in Britain, a charity has warned.
Speaking as Labour MP Kim Leadbeater introduces new legislation at Westminster, Ross Hendry, CEO of CARE, said:
“Ensuring that terminally ill Britons get the care they need is vitally important, particularly in a context of rising pressure on public services. However, assisted suicide is not the response dying people deserve. This practice denies the intrinsic value of human life and sends a message that some lives aren’t worth living. Disabled people, professionals working with vulnerable adults, and many others find the prospect of a law change frightening.
“No number of ‘safeguards’ could remove the threat of vulnerable people being coerced into ending their lives. Neither could they prevent people choosing to die because they feel like a burden, or because they don’t have support. Deaths under a UK law would be driven by citizens’ experiences of poverty, healthcare inequality, social isolation, and other factors. People would not be approaching the question of ‘assisted death’ on an equal footing.
“UK authorities seek to prevent every suicide and offer compassionate, life-affirming support to people who are struggling with serious illness and other issues. We believe this is the best approach and we’d ask MPs to uphold it.”
