MP’s Father’s Experience Shapes Stance on Assisted Dying Legislation

Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has stated her inability to support the assisted dying bill, attributing her position to her father’s experience. She recounted that he had, at one point, been given a slim chance of survival. However, he recovered, survived, and lived another another 20 years. On Friday, MPs endorsed a bill to legalize assisted dying, meaning it will proceed through several additional stages before a final vote to establish it as law. Baldwin acknowledged that individuals would hold strong opinions on both sides of the argument but added that she had observed the difficulty in predicting the precise moment of someone’s death. “Treatments are changing all the time – the medical profession can sometimes work wonders,” she said. “So I have an issue with the whole principle that you might actually know that you’re going to die.” She expressed her desire for the medical profession to uphold the Hippocratic Oath’s principle of “do no harm” and concentrate on preserving lives, rather than ending them. While Baldwin has a personal connection to the issue, she clarified that she was also evaluating it from a legislative standpoint. She indicated that she was “not comfortable” with certain aspects of the bill, such as provisions affecting doctors who are unwilling to help their patients end their lives. “The bill puts an obligation on them in law, if they have that objection in conscience, to find a doctor who will help [the patient],” she said. Baldwin also asserted that the proposed legislation would impose additional strain on an already overburdened legal system. “What I would say is in terms of the backlog in the NHS, and the backlog in our courts system, I would rather our NHS and our judges focus on that rather than be given this new additional responsibility.” Other MPs from across Herefordshire and Worcestershire also disclosed their voting intentions prior to Friday’s debate. Five of the eight MPs representing the two counties informed the BBC of their decisions. Chris Bloore, the Labour MP for Redditch, stated he would vote in favor of the bill to grant individuals at the end of their lives choice and dignity. “That civil liberty issue and that ability for choice at the very end is what’s tipped me over the edge.” He mentioned having previously declared his views during the general election campaign. “I was clear that if a bill came forward… with the right safeguards, I would support the bill,” he said. “It’s a big change in the way our health system works and how our society thinks about acts about death.” Meanwhile, Tom Collins, the Labour MP for Worcester, while not yet firmly decided, admitted he was currently inclined to vote against the bill. “There are devastating and heartbreaking experiences on both sides of this debate,” he said. “This is all about choice.” “My concern is that at the moment we have a real under-delivery of good quality of palliative care. “Some have awful experiences… medically and emotionally. Opening the door in that context could present people with some really bad choices.” “My view is that really need to go and fix palliative care.” Mark Garnier, the Conservative MP for Wyre Forest, stated he had long been convinced of the merits of allowing assisted dying. Earlier this year, he wrote about his mother’s experience after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. “My mother died over a decade ago… there was no cure and she was 86 years old,” he said. “Yet she received help to allow her to die a painless but undignified death in a way that could have dragged on for months.” “She, I knew, was keen to end it quickly.” Garnier noted that in recent weeks he had attempted to challenge his perspectives by meeting with opponents of the bill, including the Bishop of Dudley and former Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson. However, he stated he had yet to be persuaded that his decision was incorrect. Nigel Huddleston, the Conservative MP for Droitwich and Evesham, revealed that his opinion on assisted dying had changed multiple times over the years, but he had ultimately decided to vote against it. “On something as important as this, I need to be absolutely convinced if I was going to vote in favour that I was doing the right thing,” he said. “And I’m afraid I’m not there.“I’ve got concerns about the bill – I’m worried about the slippery slope argument.“I’ve seen very strong arguments in favour but I’m afraid I’ve got too many doubts to be confident that I would be doing the right thing by voting in favour so I’ll be voting against the bill.” Ellie Chowns, the Green MP for North Herefordshire, announced her intention to vote for the bill after careful consideration and consultation with experts. She mentioned that hundreds of people had emailed her about the matter. “It is clearly a very, very sensitive issue, but for me fundamentally it’s about enabling those who have very little time left to live some degree of choice, dignity and autonomy.” “So many people in that situation have told me that is something that they really, really want, and I believe we should support them as a society,” she said. Jesse Norman, MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, and Bradley Thomas, MP for Bromsgrove, both Conservative representatives in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, have not publicly disclosed their views or how they will vote. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.