A former New Zealand Member of Parliament has passionately urged the UK Parliament to reject the current terminally ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, warning of its dangerous implications and inadequate safeguards. The warning comes amid on-going debate over the legislation, which aims to legalise assisted suicide for terminally ill adults in England and Wales.
Caroline Ansell, who formerly served as MP for Eastbourne and now directs advocacy for the charity CARE, described the legislation as “irredeemably flawed in principle and in detail.” She raised sharp concerns over the risks of abuse, the bill’s threat to vulnerable groups, including the poor, disabled, and ethnic minorities and the potential for painful and drawn-out deaths resulting from faulty provisions. Ansell further criticised the removal of the High Court approval requirement, a change she viewed as weakening judicial oversight and heightening the chances of misuse.
SPUC focuses on protecting life from conception to natural death and emphases the intrinsic moral danger of legalising assisted suicide. SPUC warn that what begins under narrow circumstances, terminal illness, inevitably broadens, placing frail and disadvantaged individuals under undue pressure.
SPUC joins ex-MPs and other advocacy groups in calling for a clear focus on life-affirming alternatives, not legal mechanisms to end it. SPUC advocates for substantially improved palliative care, ensuring patients feel valued and supported and expanded mental health services to alleviate loneliness, depression, or fear.
SPUC urge Parliament to vote down this Bill at the Third Reading. The Bill passed initial readings by a narrow margin, meaning that a small shift in votes could still block it. Legal protection for the vulnerable should begin with preventing premature deaths, not enabling them. Compassionate society builds pathways to support and dignity, not to hasten departure. As the debate continues, SPUC urges legislators to reject the assisted suicide Bill and instead channel resources toward protecting life at all stages.
