Today’s vote on the Assisted Dying Bill was about power and trust. The power of the state to end life, and the trust that individuals can have in the state, and the NHS whose obligation is no longer solely their care.
Many will not feel the creeping intimidation of this decision, they will have the support of loving families and caring friends and the power to feel safe, but the weak, the vulnerable, the lonely, and the marginalised will. Already many communities do not trust the health system, they avoid vaccinations and present themselves too late for treatment leading to worse outcomes and more serious consequences of cancer and other illnesses.
Putting doctors in the position that could lead to doubt, that may convince people that their lives may be sacrificed for the greater good - for a family, for a budget line - will lead to more staying away and more hardship. This is of course about the alleviation of suffering, but it is not true that anyone can guarantee a pain free death. We must be honest, there are consequences to every choice, and this one will leave many questioning what their future holds and whose side the state is on. That is why I voted against the Assisted Dying Bill today. It has opened the door to a power that no state has held since the end of capital punishment.
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