MPs deliver powerful speeches in assisted dying bill debate
MPs have voted to make assisted dying law in England and Wales. Opening the debate, Kim Leadbeater said that now was the moment to seize, to 'correct the profound injustices of the status quo and to offer a compassionate and safe choice to terminally ill people who want to make it'
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Rhyl Journal
27 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Assisted dying law closer but MPs' support narrows in historic vote
Kim Leadbeater described backing for her Bill in the Commons as 'a convincing majority', after the number was slashed from 55 in November to 23 on Friday. The Labour MP declared 'thank goodness' after the result, but hospices are among those warning of the 'seismic change' for end-of-life care. Staunch supporter Dame Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill but has said a new law is unlikely to come in time for her, thanked MPs for doing their bit to protect terminally ill people from a 'bad death'. She told the PA news agency: 'This will make a huge positive difference, protecting millions of terminally ill patients and their families from the agony and loss of dignity created by a bad death. 'Thank you, Parliament.' While 314 MPs voted for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at third reading, 291 voted against. Some 14 MPs switched from voting in favour to against, while only one MP – Labour's Jack Abbott – switched from voting no to voting yes. The proposed legislation will now move to the House of Lords for further debate and votes, although one peer has already urged her colleagues they 'must oppose a law that puts the vulnerable at risk'. Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally, a former chief nursing officer for England, said instead work is needed to better fund access to 'desperately needed palliative care services'. Her sentiment was echoed by a range of end-of-life care organisations including Marie Curie, which said legalising assisted dying will make it 'more crucial than ever' for governments across the UK 'ensure that there is palliative care available for anyone who needs it'. Ahead of the vote, MPs approved a change to the Bill, which will require ministers to assess within a year of any new law coming into effect the quality and distribution of palliative care services currently available and the impact of an assisted dying service on them. The charity said while it welcomed the change, 'this will not on its own make the improvements needed to guarantee everyone is able to access the palliative care they need'. Ms Leadbeater said the vote result was one that 'so many people need', insisting her Bill has enough safeguards and will 'give dying people choice'. Asked about the narrower gap between supporters and opponents, Ms Leadbeater said she knew there would be 'some movement both ways' but insisted the vote showed a 'convincing majority'. She told reporters: 'The will of the House (of Commons) will now be respected by the Lords, and the Bill will go through to its next stage.' Acknowledging those who remain opposed to the Bill, she said she is 'happy to work with them to provide any reassurance or if they've got any questions about the Bill that they want to talk through with me, my door has always been open and remains open'. Conservative MP Danny Kruger, who opposes the Bill, said support 'is ebbing away very fast', telling of his disappointment the Bill passed but adding: 'The fact is, their majority's been cut in half.' Campaigners wept, jumped and hugged each other outside Parliament as the vote result was announced, while some MPs appeared visibly emotional as they left the chamber. Others lined up to shake hands with Ms Leadbeater, the Bill's sponsor through the Commons, with some, including Home Office minister Jess Phillips, stopping to hug the Spen Valley MP. Before a Bill can be signed into law, both the Lords and the Commons must agree the final text. Thanks to the four-year implementation period, it could be 2029 – potentially coinciding with the end of this Government's parliament – before assisted dying is offered. Encouraging or assisting suicide is currently against the law in England and Wales, with a maximum jail sentence of 14 years. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer remained supportive of the Bill, voting yes on Friday as he had done last year. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who had urged MPs to vote against the legislation, describing it as 'a bad Bill' despite being 'previously supportive of assisted suicide', voted no. During an hours-long date on Friday, MPs on both sides of the issue recalled personal stories of loved ones who had died. Conservative former minister Sir James Cleverly, who led the opposition to the Bill in the Commons, spoke of a close friend who died 'painfully' from cancer. He said he comes at the divisive issue 'not from a position of faith nor from a position of ignorance', and was driven in his opposition by 'concerns about the practicalities' of the Bill. MPs had a free vote on the Bill, meaning they decided according to their conscience rather than along party lines. The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist.
Glasgow Times
30 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Assisted dying law closer but MPs' support narrows in historic vote
Kim Leadbeater described backing for her Bill in the Commons as 'a convincing majority', after the number was slashed from 55 in November to 23 on Friday. The Labour MP declared 'thank goodness' after the result, but hospices are among those warning of the 'seismic change' for end-of-life care. Staunch supporter Dame Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill but has said a new law is unlikely to come in time for her, thanked MPs for doing their bit to protect terminally ill people from a 'bad death'. She told the PA news agency: 'This will make a huge positive difference, protecting millions of terminally ill patients and their families from the agony and loss of dignity created by a bad death. 'Thank you, Parliament.' While 314 MPs voted for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at third reading, 291 voted against. Some 14 MPs switched from voting in favour to against, while only one MP – Labour's Jack Abbott – switched from voting no to voting yes. The proposed legislation will now move to the House of Lords for further debate and votes, although one peer has already urged her colleagues they 'must oppose a law that puts the vulnerable at risk'. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater advocating for her Bill in the House of Commons (Parliament TV/PA) Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally, a former chief nursing officer for England, said instead work is needed to better fund access to 'desperately needed palliative care services'. Her sentiment was echoed by a range of end-of-life care organisations including Marie Curie, which said legalising assisted dying will make it 'more crucial than ever' for governments across the UK 'ensure that there is palliative care available for anyone who needs it'. Ahead of the vote, MPs approved a change to the Bill, which will require ministers to assess within a year of any new law coming into effect the quality and distribution of palliative care services currently available and the impact of an assisted dying service on them. The charity said while it welcomed the change, 'this will not on its own make the improvements needed to guarantee everyone is able to access the palliative care they need'. Ms Leadbeater said the vote result was one that 'so many people need', insisting her Bill has enough safeguards and will 'give dying people choice'. Asked about the narrower gap between supporters and opponents, Ms Leadbeater said she knew there would be 'some movement both ways' but insisted the vote showed a 'convincing majority'. She told reporters: 'The will of the House (of Commons) will now be respected by the Lords, and the Bill will go through to its next stage.' Campaigners in Parliament Square, central London, ahead of the vote (Yui Mok/PA) Acknowledging those who remain opposed to the Bill, she said she is 'happy to work with them to provide any reassurance or if they've got any questions about the Bill that they want to talk through with me, my door has always been open and remains open'. Conservative MP Danny Kruger, who opposes the Bill, said support 'is ebbing away very fast', telling of his disappointment the Bill passed but adding: 'The fact is, their majority's been cut in half.' Campaigners wept, jumped and hugged each other outside Parliament as the vote result was announced, while some MPs appeared visibly emotional as they left the chamber. Others lined up to shake hands with Ms Leadbeater, the Bill's sponsor through the Commons, with some, including Home Office minister Jess Phillips, stopping to hug the Spen Valley MP. Before a Bill can be signed into law, both the Lords and the Commons must agree the final text. Thanks to the four-year implementation period, it could be 2029 – potentially coinciding with the end of this Government's parliament – before assisted dying is offered. Encouraging or assisting suicide is currently against the law in England and Wales, with a maximum jail sentence of 14 years. Public support for a change in the law remains high, according to a poll (James Manning/PA) Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer remained supportive of the Bill, voting yes on Friday as he had done last year. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who had urged MPs to vote against the legislation, describing it as 'a bad Bill' despite being 'previously supportive of assisted suicide', voted no. During an hours-long date on Friday, MPs on both sides of the issue recalled personal stories of loved ones who had died. Conservative former minister Sir James Cleverly, who led the opposition to the Bill in the Commons, spoke of a close friend who died 'painfully' from cancer. He said he comes at the divisive issue 'not from a position of faith nor from a position of ignorance', and was driven in his opposition by 'concerns about the practicalities' of the Bill. MPs had a free vote on the Bill, meaning they decided according to their conscience rather than along party lines. The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist.
Telegraph
41 minutes ago
- Telegraph
How JK Rowling became a lightning rod for attacks by pro-trans activists
These are dark times in the wizarding world. Stephen Fry, who narrated all seven of JK Rowling's Harry Potter audio books, has become the latest celebrity to lambast the author for her views on trans issues. Fry told the Show People podcast that Rowling 'has been radicalised by terfs' (a slur meaning 'transgender-exclusionary radical feminists') and described his former friend and colleague as a 'lost cause'. But Fry's censure won't deter the author. Rowling has spent the past five years fending off increasingly vitriolic attacks and even death threats as she became the chief spokesperson for women's rights – and the biggest lightning rod for attacks by pro-trans activists. It was in 2019 that Rowling began sharing her views publicly, initially by supporting other campaigners. In December of that year, she robustly defended Maya Forstater, a researcher locked in an employment discrimination battle for expressing gender-critical opinions. Rowling posted on Twitter: 'Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who'll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill'. Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who'll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 19, 2019 Rowling progressed to leading the charge in 2020. In June, she posted a scathing tweet in response to an article about 'people who menstruate'. Rowling commented: 'I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?' It prompted an online backlash in which her critics called her transphobic – an allegation she denied. 'People who menstruate.' I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud? Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020 Still, it wasn't entirely clear what was motivating her involvement until she published a lengthy and thoughtful essay on her website that same month. Rowling wrote that her interest in this subject actually went back two years: she had been closely following the debate, and reading books and articles by trans people, gender specialists, psychologists, doctors and more. Rowling explained that she also had a very personal interest. She revealed that she was a domestic abuse and sexual assault survivor, and that was part of her concern around the erosion of protected single-sex spaces. Rowling's remarkable candour is part of what makes her such an effective advocate, says her friend, fellow campaigner and Telegraph columnist Suzanne Moore. The pair first got in touch in 2020 – also an eventful year for Moore, who left The Guardian after 338 of its employees wrote a critical open letter in response to Moore's column about women's rights. Moore says of Rowling: 'Her experience of domestic violence, and her understanding of what it is to be poor, to be a single parent, to not to have access to services, that is a crucial aspect. Although she's incredibly rich and famous, a part of Jo will always be worrying about how to pay the next bill or afford childcare. That means she understands the vulnerability of others. I think people relate to that – it's a very human thing.' Rowling's emotional response is balanced, says Moore, by her conviction about the core issues, including 'that women and girls matter, and that children should not be medicalised. She sees this as one of the biggest medical scandals of the past decade.' Mandy Rhodes, editor of Holyrood magazine and a long-time campaigner for women's rights in Scotland, admits she was initially sceptical about Rowling's involvement. 'I did have that moment of thinking 'Oh, it's someone very famous jumping on the bandwagon'. But within days I understood how committed she was.' Crucially, argues Moore, Rowling 'didn't come into this for her own ego'. Nor was it a fashionable position to take; quite the opposite. 'She could have just sat back and enjoyed her massive success,' says Moore. 'She chose to take a stand. You see all these men like Stephen Fry or Boy George coming at her and they end up looking absolutely stupid. She's what everybody fears: a woman who doesn't give a f---. She doesn't need to be liked – she's already loved. She's a rock star.' Rhodes explains: 'Many of us who put our heads above the parapet were then in the position of trying to save our jobs or keep our sanity because of the criticism being levelled at us. Jo was in a more powerful position and she used it. That really elevated everything.' In 2022, Rowling took action by funding a women-only support centre, Beira's Place in Edinburgh, for victims of sexual violence. 'There was no such single-sex service before,' she said in an interview. 'I know that was well worth doing because of the number of women who are coming through our doors.' Over three years she has donated £1 million to fund running costs, including a staff of nine counselling support workers who have provided more than 6,000 hours of support to 700 women and girls.' Moore visited the centre with Rowling and was struck by how 'Jo sat back and listened to the experienced staff explaining why this was important. That said a lot to me.' Rowling has also regularly challenged controversial legislation in Scotland. In 2022 she condemned a bill that would make it easier for trans people to legally change gender, and in 2024 she criticised a new hate crime act by posting her views on X and challenging Scottish police to arrest her. 'As a writer, she passionately believes in free speech,' says Moore. 'That's something that her critics don't necessarily understand about the arguments she's making.' That same year, Rowling leapt to the defence of resigning Labour MP Rosie Duffield, who had previously been criticised by Keir Starmer for saying that only women have a cervix. The author wrote on X that Duffield 'was one of the few female Labour politicians with the guts to stand up for vulnerable women and girls.' Rosie Duffield was one of the few female Labour politicians with the guts to stand up for vulnerable women and girls, while self-satisfied numbskulls like you fought to give away their rights and spaces. TL;DR Keep her name out of your mouth. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 28, 2024 Rowling has also weighed in on women's sport. In 2024 she posted a photograph of Olympic Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, saying that it showed a man 'enjoying the distress of a woman he's just punched in the head'. Rosie Duffield was one of the few female Labour politicians with the guts to stand up for vulnerable women and girls, while self-satisfied numbskulls like you fought to give away their rights and spaces. TL;DR Keep her name out of your mouth. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 28, 2024 Moore says that while many women share such concerns, voicing them puts you in a very lonely position. Even Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, who owe their fame to Rowling's Harry Potter movie franchise, have publicly disagreed with her on trans issues, as has Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne. 'People are hurling abuse at you constantly,' adds Moore. 'This issue came to a head during lockdown, when you felt really isolated. Jo is absolutely the person you want beside you in the trenches: her personal courage, her cleverness and her funniness keep you going.' They were both highly amused, says Moore, when a lunch that Rowling organised for campaigners (including Forstater, Prof Kathleen Stock and Julie Bindel) at the River Café in west London in April 2022 became the focus of rabid attention. 'Women have pasta and wine and suddenly it's a national news story! Actually what she's done is bring people together from across the political spectrum and foster real camaraderie.' Rhodes was delighted to meet Rowling at the Edinburgh launch, in 2024, for the book of essays The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht (Rowling contributed a piece). 'At first I didn't recognise her – she hadn't made an effort to stand out,' says Rhodes. 'I tapped her on the shoulder and said, 'Hi, I'm Mandy', and she immediately said, 'It's so amazing to meet you', and was actually quite deferential to me, which was very kind. I don't think you can exaggerate how horrible and painful it felt being in Scotland at the forefront of all this. It meant a lot to all of us that she was there.' It also helps to have a globally best-selling author articulating your message. Reflecting on Rowling's 2020 personal essay, Rhodes says: 'What she wrote was so simple, so easily understood, it cut through all the nonsense.' Moore thinks that the relentless criticism does sometimes get to Rowling, 'but she jokes to us about it and she stays amazingly calm online. There's all sorts of stuff she could say to someone like Stephen and she doesn't. It's a relief seeing 'there's a woman who cannot be put in her place'. She's inspirational. I'm confident we can keep fighting back, as long as we have people like Jo fighting with us.'
