Assisted Dying Bill

Oh gosh yes. Think harder

Well there’s a little thing called elections.

The bill has been deliberately designed to be as restrictive as possible, as the only chance to get it through.

If it does get into law, it could perhaps be revisited within five years, as by then we will have good evidence that it’s working, and of what’s not.

But it is the case with Mahmood and Streeting.

There have been seven attempts to pass an assisted dying law since 2010; it is nonsense to say the debate on this has been “rushed”, as many do. Politicians really have had the time to ensure proper safeguards are in place.

As far as I remember WFA wasn’t even mentioned pre election, let alone gone on and on about.

And the Tories promised to bring down immigration yet increased it. Labour won over 400 seats, it's a very convincing win.

I think it's only 13% the rest are don't knows.
It's an extraordinary high level of agreement for such a controversial subject.
Apparently generally speaking people are also much better at discussing it in a reasoned manner and being able to understand both sides as it is complex and nuanced.

I agree with everything you say. My mum had vascular dementia and I fear having to die like that more than anything. I’m so sorry you had to endure it twice, that’s just awful. 💐

I agree that, having gone through supporting end of life care for two aged parents with dementia, I would 100% want assisted dying for myself if I was diagnosed. Though I do not regret one minute of the time we have spent supporting them, stressful and exhausting as it was. I assume that this would come at some point later - I recognise this is what opponents see as the thin end of the wedge, but it is absolutely what i would want for myself.

My biggest fear about this bill being defeated is that police will then again start prosecuting people for helping others go to Dignitas. That means anyone wanting to end their own life has to travel independently while they are still strong and conscious enough to do so. That's very hard with dementia.

Sorry, got wound up and derailed the thread. Will stop now!

I'm not aware that they "went on about winter fuel" as part of their election campaign. I don't think you'll be able to find a single reference to it pre election.

Now you can argue it should have been in the manifesto. But that's not the same as them "going on about it" then doing the opposite.

And for what it's worth, it was quite right to take it away from pensioners on very good final salary pensions who don't need it. They went wrong in not thinking through the consequences for those just above the pension credit threshold, just as they went wrong not thinking about the most vulnerable businesses and the NI raise, and not thinking through the farmers inheritance tax issues where farms are land rich but cash poor. But they are trying to tackle a huge deficit and there are definitely businesses and farmers who are not paying their way. So it is a complex set of problems to solve. the Tories also chucked people under the bus to save money (bedroom tax, two child limit) but they made life worse for the most vulnerable and marginal so there was not the same outcry.

I think most of the public agree with assisted dying in principle but are unaware of the details of the bill. For example it would apply only to people classed as terminally ill. I am not sure if that covers the type of conditions that it would be most useful for, e.g. motor neurone disease, severe dementia, locked-in syndrome. The politicians have to look at the details.

Did you miss this @BishyBarnyBee? You appear to have replied to it.

That's helpful, thanks. I'm broadly a Labour supporter but cringing at some of the things that have happened, and would support PR, so we are maybe not as far apart as we seemed. But I do think we have a broadly functioning democratic system compared to China, Russia, many North African states and much of the Middle East. We do not live in fear of our lives in the way people opposing the system do in those countries. I really value our country and culture, with all its flaws, and I think when we disparage it we need to think carefully about what the alternatives are.

Everyone has a a right to a view - the points about the only people who should be allowed to vote are those of experience could be applied to any bill. Perhaps only those who have children should be able to vote on bills around children, or those who are teachers be allowed to vote on school issues and those in who work in social care only vote on that

Seriously?

I am not anti/for Labour..that isn't what I said. I said we have a party with a large majority in power with a very small % of the vote. I would like to see a system of PR. In the WFA allowance for example...I am shocked Labour cancelled it given everything they said when in opposition. Actually I think it did need to be looked but what they did shocked me. So despite everything they said, general condemnation and it not being in the manifesto they are doing it.

Where did they go on about winter fuel allowance before the election?

Sorry, this is unclear. Who asked what?

You asked. Sorry you don’t like the answer. 🤷‍♀️

So you are anti Labour. But what are you for? How would you fix the system?

I suspect you are right, as having gone through the end of life process three times now, it nearly broke us doing it on top of full time work, and you could not possibly do it and be an effective MP.

I think that the only people who should vote are those with experience of watching dying first hand. The rot talked about re better palliative care as if that is a magic cure whilst several parts of your body are literally rotting away and you smell like meat gone off and left out of the fridge too long- sure a bit or morphine helps as you intestines shrivel up and organs fail.

My impression is that few MP have hands on end of life experience.

Do you really believe that every 5 years we have a democratic vote? 33% of the voters chose Labour. Its a joke. By the opposition? Before the election Labour went on and on about winter fuel allowance.....yet one of the first things they did was get rid of it. How can you trust what they say in opposition?