This Friday, I will vote on the Terminally Ill Adults Bill.
As a 'free vote', the government will be neutral and every MP will vote according to personal conviction.
Dozens of people in Welwyn Hatfield have contacted me to share their view on assisted dying and I fully respect the deeply held positions on both sides of the debate.
After careful reflection, I have decided to vote for the Bill and wanted to use the limited space in this column to set out why it has my support.
I hope to be called to speak in the Commons on Friday to set out my case in more detail.
Fundamentally, this is an issue of principle. I believe people who are terminally ill should, with the appropriate safeguards, have the right to choose to end their life.
As it stands, the law forces some people to continue living in agonising pain, against their wishes.
The logic of the current law is that the state knows better than the individual about what is best for them in the final months of their lives.
I don’t agree and it is why I am convinced there needs to be change.
This is also an issue of equity. Assisted dying is already possible for UK citizens who have the means to travel to Dignitas in Switzerland.
It can’t be right that this choice is open to those who can afford to travel, but closed to people who cannot.
Safeguards are crucial and the Bill is tightly drafted. It makes clear that lawful assistance to voluntarily end your own life will only be permissible under strict criteria. They are:
1. The individual has a terminal diagnosis and is reasonably expected to live for six months or less
2. The decision to grant the request is subject to assessments by two doctors
3. Following approval from the medical profession, the High Court will provide a final judgement
Assisted dying has been legal for years in other countries, but these proposed safeguards are arguably the strongest in the world.
This will remain a deeply emotive subject, but I believe this Bill strikes the right balance for individuals and society and I will vote for it on that basis.
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