by Tanni Grey-Thompson, The Observer
MPs have had their say on this divisive issue, but many people across the country will be unhappy and worried about their future
In considering the scenarios of the third reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) bill, I thought long and hard about what this moment would be like. There are some who have portrayed this as a victory for those who support assisted suicide, but whatever the outcome there would be large swathes of the public unhappy with the decision. Some are worried their life will go on too long, and there are those who fear their lives will be cut short, and we still don’t have better palliative care. It is a postcode lottery, with no plans in place to improve it.
No legislation stands in isolation. Lay on the current proposals for swingeing cuts to the challenging welfare bill, and the discrimination that disabled people face in every part of their lives, and there are many who are worried about their future. The bill that is now going to make its way to the Lords does not take any of that into account.
So-called “safeguards” will not hold. An amendment to ensure that advice is accessible to those with autism, for example, was voted down. Indirect coercion is hard to detect or prove and has happened in Oregon, the first US state to allow assisted dying. Coercion would most likely not be direct and implicit, but in quiet conversations where the conclusion is implied.