A Cumbrian MP joined the majority in the House of Commons today in passing a historic bill allowing adults who are terminally ill to be provided with assistance to end their own lives.
Penrith and Solway MP Markus Campbell-Savours joined Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister in voting in favour of the bill, while other Cumbrian MPs voted against the bill (Carlisle MP Julie Minns, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron).
However, it wasn't an easy decision to make, he said, but in fact the 'hardest thing' he's had to do.
Citing his Christian faith as the reason for his initial reservation on the issue, he said as he's gotten older he believes that religion should not play a part in deciding policies.
"What may be my choice shouldn't be something we push onto other people, therefore I've found myself taking a liberal position," he said.
However, it's not total support of the bill to the letter as Mr Campbell-Savours thinks it is inadequate in terms of outlining appropriate safeguarding for coercion.
But he hopes it will be refined before the final vote.
"I've gone into it looking for a version of this legislation that I can support.
"I think in many ways I'm not there yet - I don't think the bill as it stands has the safeguards I want it to have.
"However I believe this is the start of the process - it's only the second reading and at the committee stage there are some additional features added to it such as the call for written and verbal evidence to be given to the committee.
"My hope is that the committee can now refine it and deal with some of the concerns that I have.
"What I am very clear on though, is that if those improvements aren't made, and the safeguards around people feeling under pressure aren't dealt with sufficiently, I will vote against this at my final opportunity."
This was not an easy decision, he said, but he voted in favour 'to give it a chance and a proper debate'.
He said many more MPs voted in favour at this stage for similar reasons.
Julie Minns said previously that she could not support the bill for several reasons after much consideration.
In an open letter to constituents, Julie Minns said that she had spent a ‘great deal of time’ studying the arguments around assisted dying, but couldn’t support the bill for three key reasons:
- The reservations expressed by disabled people and disability organisations.
- The fact that everyone should have the right to a good death, but the bill deals with only one kind
- The fact that she believes there can be no watertight safeguards against coercion
READ MORE: Carlisle MP 'cannot support' assisted dying bill
Ms Minns said that it had not been an ‘easy decision’ to make but hopes it can be respected.
Reacting to today's vote, Ms Minns said: "We are fortunate to live in a democracy where we can debate and disagree.
"The important thing now is that we move forwards together to effectively scrutinise the bill and ensure it provides the most robust protections, and that it works as proponents of the bill so sensitively outlined."
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