Latest news with #SimonOpher
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Blue Labour's ‘scrap DEI' call could shatter the party
Blue Labour's suggestion to scrap diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives is immoral and fails to recognise the importance of this to other parts of the centre-left coalition that makes up the Labour party (Blue Labour group urges ministers to 'root out DEI' to win over Reform voters, 2 June). The more that Blue Labour promotes Reform-friendly policies, the less likely the others will remain supporters. In 2024 Keir Starmer achieved a very narrow coalition that won well in enough constituencies with fewer votes than Labour achieved in 2019 (then described as the party's worst result since 1935). There are some exceptional Labour MPs, like Simon Opher, who understand the importance of solidifying the centre-left coalition and fighting Reform UK by retaining its values. But many are surrendering them by adopting the extremism of Reform. Starmer's weak coalition of 2024 has fractured beyond measure, and for those on the left, the choices in England are a shift towards either the Greens and Liberal Democrats, or a new party of the left. The latter could be a real danger to Labour, as it could be as successful as the Social Democratic party was in the 1980s in dividing Labour and securing victory for a rightwing party. For many, particularly those in non-Labour seats, there is no point in waiting. Now is the time to find a new political home. The choice is not easy and will often depend on the local strength of the other centre-left parties. Chas Townley Brockworth, Gloucestershire About half a century ago, I wrote a report for the National Union of Journalists called Black and White: Race Reporting in Britain, pointing out that expressions like 'a coloured man' were common in BBC news bulletins and in broadsheets. It asked why most media outlets employed no non‑white journalists. I now realise that, according to one of today's Nigel Farage cults that is apparently supported by Blue Labour, I believed in diversity, equity and inclusion – three words not only to be expunged from Labour's lexicon but made into a law of political purity. It seems I was guilty of the crime of 'woke'. I can add it retrospectively to my many other Denis MacShaneMP for Rotherham, 1994-2012 Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Glasgow Times
14-05-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Doctors raise concerns over assisted dying Bill ahead of return to Parliament
In what will be seen by some as a blow for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) said it cannot support the proposals in their current form, while separate research has highlighted division on the issue amongst family doctors in England. The Bill, which relates to England and Wales, will come before MPs in the House of Commons on Friday for its report stage – where various further amendments will be debated and voted on. It is not yet clear whether time will allow on the day for a third reading vote. Dr Simon Opher is supportive of the Westminster assisted dying Bill (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA) It will be the first time the Bill is back before the Commons since the historic yes vote in November. The Bill's continued passage through Westminster comes as the Scottish Parliament backed the general principles for assisted dying in a vote on Tuesday. Holyrood voted by 70 votes to 56 in favour of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. On the Westminster Bill, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) has said it cannot support the proposed legislation in its current form, highlighting 'serious concerns'. MP Kim Leadbeater is behind the Westminster assisted dying Bill (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Conservative MP Danny Kruger, who is opposed to the Bill, said this was a 'very significant intervention from the Royal College of Psychiatrists'. The college said it has 'unanswered questions' about the safeguarding of people with mental illness and warned of a shortage of consultant psychiatrists to meet the demands of the Bill. Meanwhile, research by the BBC suggested varying views among GPs. Of 1,000 doctors who responded to questions on assisted dying, 500 were opposed to legalisation while about 400 were in favour, the broadcaster said. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, told the BBC the results showed doctors had 'real concerns about the practical and legal implications of a change in the law on assisted dying', which she said 'must be acknowledged and addressed, so that any legislation is watertight'. The Bill was amended during committee stage earlier this year, including the High Court element being scrapped in favour of multidisciplinary panels featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. The RCPsych has said it is 'not clear what a psychiatrist's role on a multidisciplinary panel would be', and also demanded any new law 'must exclude the physical effects of mental disorder, such as anorexia or dementia, as the basis for eligibility'. Dr Lade Smith, president of the RCPsych, said: 'It's integral to a psychiatrist's role to consider how people's unmet needs affect their desire to live. The Bill, as proposed, does not honour this role, or require other clinicians involved in the process to consider whether someone's decision to die might change with better support. Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur reacts after MSPs approved the general principles of legislation which could introduce assisted dying for terminally ill Scots (Andrew Milligan/PA) 'We are urging MPs to look again at our concerns for this once-in-a-generation Bill and prevent inadequate assisted dying/assisted suicide proposals from becoming law.' Dr Annabel Price, also from the RCPsych, said: 'The college has spent decades focused on preventing people from dying by suicide. 'A significant part of our engagement on this Bill to date has been to point out that people with terminal physical illnesses are more likely to have depression. 'Terminal illness is a risk factor for suicide, and unmet needs can make a person's life feel unbearable. But we know that if a person's situation is improved or their symptoms treated, then their wish to end their life sooner often changes. 'The Bill does not specify whether assisted dying/assisted suicide is a treatment option – an ambiguity that has major implications in law.' Labour MP Simon Opher, who is also a GP and is supportive of the Bill, said the legislation has been amended to be even safer than it was. He told the BBC Radio Four Today programme: 'I totally understand the criticisms around the Bill but I think that actually if you read the Bill it's incredibly safe now and it has a number of safeguards around capacity and coercion and indeed that's why we've involved psychiatrists for the very difficult cases around assessing mental capacity – which are very few but we need their expertise on that level.' Asked whether he felt concerns raised by royal colleges might put MPs off voting in favour of the Bill, he said: 'GPs are split on this and I totally acknowledge that and I know many people who I deeply respect who are against it and many who are for it. 'But I think that actually talking to MPs, many of them haven't changed their views on this. 'There's about three or four I know that may vote in favour of the Bill because of the extra safeguards we've built into it.' Meanwhile, Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the Westminster Bill, praised the 'lengthy, constructive and compassionate debate' in the Scottish Parliament, saying they had 'listened to the voices of those with personal experience of those injustices and concluded that the status quo cannot be defended any longer'.
Western Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Health
- Western Telegraph
Doctors raise concerns over assisted dying Bill ahead of return to Parliament
In what will be seen by some as a blow for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) said it cannot support the proposals in their current form, while separate research has highlighted division on the issue amongst family doctors in England. The Bill, which relates to England and Wales, will come before MPs in the House of Commons on Friday for its report stage – where various further amendments will be debated and voted on. It is not yet clear whether time will allow on the day for a third reading vote. Dr Simon Opher is supportive of the Westminster assisted dying Bill (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA) It will be the first time the Bill is back before the Commons since the historic yes vote in November. The Bill's continued passage through Westminster comes as the Scottish Parliament backed the general principles for assisted dying in a vote on Tuesday. Holyrood voted by 70 votes to 56 in favour of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. On the Westminster Bill, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) has said it cannot support the proposed legislation in its current form, highlighting 'serious concerns'. MP Kim Leadbeater is behind the Westminster assisted dying Bill (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Conservative MP Danny Kruger, who is opposed to the Bill, said this was a 'very significant intervention from the Royal College of Psychiatrists'. The college said it has 'unanswered questions' about the safeguarding of people with mental illness and warned of a shortage of consultant psychiatrists to meet the demands of the Bill. Meanwhile, research by the BBC suggested varying views among GPs. Of 1,000 doctors who responded to questions on assisted dying, 500 were opposed to legalisation while about 400 were in favour, the broadcaster said. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, told the BBC the results showed doctors had 'real concerns about the practical and legal implications of a change in the law on assisted dying', which she said 'must be acknowledged and addressed, so that any legislation is watertight'. The Bill was amended during committee stage earlier this year, including the High Court element being scrapped in favour of multidisciplinary panels featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. The RCPsych has said it is 'not clear what a psychiatrist's role on a multidisciplinary panel would be', and also demanded any new law 'must exclude the physical effects of mental disorder, such as anorexia or dementia, as the basis for eligibility'. Dr Lade Smith, president of the RCPsych, said: 'It's integral to a psychiatrist's role to consider how people's unmet needs affect their desire to live. The Bill, as proposed, does not honour this role, or require other clinicians involved in the process to consider whether someone's decision to die might change with better support. Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur reacts after MSPs approved the general principles of legislation which could introduce assisted dying for terminally ill Scots (Andrew Milligan/PA) 'We are urging MPs to look again at our concerns for this once-in-a-generation Bill and prevent inadequate assisted dying/assisted suicide proposals from becoming law.' Dr Annabel Price, also from the RCPsych, said: 'The college has spent decades focused on preventing people from dying by suicide. 'A significant part of our engagement on this Bill to date has been to point out that people with terminal physical illnesses are more likely to have depression. 'Terminal illness is a risk factor for suicide, and unmet needs can make a person's life feel unbearable. But we know that if a person's situation is improved or their symptoms treated, then their wish to end their life sooner often changes. 'The Bill does not specify whether assisted dying/assisted suicide is a treatment option – an ambiguity that has major implications in law.' Labour MP Simon Opher, who is also a GP and is supportive of the Bill, said the legislation has been amended to be even safer than it was. He told the BBC Radio Four Today programme: 'I totally understand the criticisms around the Bill but I think that actually if you read the Bill it's incredibly safe now and it has a number of safeguards around capacity and coercion and indeed that's why we've involved psychiatrists for the very difficult cases around assessing mental capacity – which are very few but we need their expertise on that level.' Asked whether he felt concerns raised by royal colleges might put MPs off voting in favour of the Bill, he said: 'GPs are split on this and I totally acknowledge that and I know many people who I deeply respect who are against it and many who are for it. 'But I think that actually talking to MPs, many of them haven't changed their views on this. 'There's about three or four I know that may vote in favour of the Bill because of the extra safeguards we've built into it.' Meanwhile, Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the Westminster Bill, praised the 'lengthy, constructive and compassionate debate' in the Scottish Parliament, saying they had 'listened to the voices of those with personal experience of those injustices and concluded that the status quo cannot be defended any longer'.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MP reflects on VE Day legacy and lessons for modern Stroud
Stroud MP Simon Opher's column The Legacy of VE Day THIS week marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day – the day when the Allied forces in Europe accepted the unconditional surrender of the German forces at the end of World War II. There are a number of events across the district to celebrate the day, an echo of the street celebrations that happened around Stroud that evening in 1945. We should all take a moment to think about what the UK achieved during the war. It was, by any measure, a remarkable military victory, pursued by our armies, but sustained by the sacrifice and hard work of people at home. It's good to remember that it was only possible because we worked closely with other countries around the world. It was a time when people came together to defeat a common threat. The war saw the back of Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists. During the war, the country utterly rejected the politics of division and hatred that they had espoused through the 1930s, when they were cheered on by, notably, the Daily Mail, and others. It's been a long journey since 1945. Some things have changed for the good - the NHS, welfare state and education, for example, while others have come and gone: nationalisation, membership of the EU and our role as a country that could lead the world. While I believe that living standards are unquestionably better for most people today, it is also true that inequality is worse. The country has largely stagnated for the past 20 years, maybe longer. Sometimes it feels as if the reward we should be getting for our hard work - and people work very hard – simply disappears into thin air. People know that life could be better and are understandably searching for a change of direction: we know that we are somehow being short-changed. Ironically, as in the 1930s, there is a growing appeal in the easy answers. It's very easy to scapegoat certain groups in society, especially those who are 'different'. I believe that the answers lie in the approach we took in 1945: tackling inequality, raising living standards, investing in our future, improving housing and transport, celebrating what we have in common (and what makes us different), and looking outwards, and working with other countries, not against them. That, I think, is the legacy of VE Day, and what we achieved in WW2. Many of the events celebrating VE Day are listed by Stroud District Council, here:
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Stroud figures speak out about controversial trans ruling
STROUD figures have spoken out following the recent Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a woman. The court confirmed on Wednesday the terms woman and sex in the 2010 Equality Act 'refer to a biological woman and biological sex'. This means transgender women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) can be excluded from single-sex spaces if 'proportionate'. The UK Government said the unanimous decision by five judges brought 'clarity and confidence' for women and service providers, however the ruling has sparked protests up and down the country, with one planned in Cheltenham's Imperial Gardens on Saturday, April 26. A spokesperson for Stroud Pride plus the area's MP have shared their views on the ruling and what it may mean for the community. A Stroud Pride spokesperson said: 'I hope you are all taking care of yourselves and keeping safe through this turmoil. "With that in mind, I'm here to tell you, in Stroud and across the country, we have community! "And with community comes solidarity, understanding, wisdom, resilience and safety! "The road to equality has never once been a straight line, and this blind corner may have taken us by surprise, but the hard work carries on." MP Simon Opher said: "Last week's Supreme Court ruling is an 88 page document, and is not as clear cut as some are claiming. "Indeed, Lord Hodge explicitly stated that it was not 'a triumph of one group... [over] another'. "Like most of these things, it will take time for everyone affected to understand and accommodate the decision, work out what it means, and how they can best respond. "Yet it will change how people live their lives. "I hope kindness, respect and empathy are what people choose to prioritise and work with. "We should be helping young people who are trying to find a liveable space in a world that doesn't guarantee their safety, not push them further and further to the margins. "We should not lose any more people to the hatred stirred by this issue. "I am especially mindful of Brianna Ghey, whose existence threatened no-one (but who brought great joy and pride to her family)."
