More than two-thirds of the British [ublic have seen through the Labour effort to push assisted suicide on the country. New polling has revealed that fewer than one in three (29%) of the general public think that a new assisted suicide bill should be introduced as soon as possible in the same form as the assisted suicide Bill that has failed to become law – as would have to happen should an MP want to use the Parliament Acts to bypass the House of Lords to force the Bill into law.
In contrast, a majority of the public (53%) think the Bill should either not return or, if it returns, it should be introduced with stronger safeguards, which would mean introducing a different Bill, therefore ruling out the use of the Parliament Acts to bypass the Lords.
The polling also found that only 34% of the public polled thought the Lords should not be able to block laws passed by elected MPs if the law is not in the Government’s manifesto. Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill is a Private Members’ Bill and was not part of Labour’s General Election manifesto.
Following the failure of Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill, polling organisation More in Common asked 2,041 adults in Britain at the end of April this year which safeguards would be important to them should another assisted suicide Bill be introduced.
The polling found that the overwhelming majority of the public believes that, if the assisted suicide Bill were to return, palliative care must first be offered as an alternative to assisted suicide before assisted suicide can take place
90% of respondents who took a position on the question thought that palliative care must be offered as an alternative to assisted suicide first. 52% of respondents agreed it was “essential” that palliative care must be offered as an alternative to assisted suicide first and a further 31% said this was “Good to have”. Only 9% thought it unnecessary.
The polling also found 71% of those who took a position were supportive of the need for approval from a judge as a safeguard. 34% of respondents agreed it was “essential” that a judge approve assisted suicide and a further 30% said this was “Good to have”.
In March last year, Kim Leadbeater removed the requirement that a High Court judge approve assisted suicide applications, despite the fact that this was presented as the flagship safeguard of her Bill, and despite assurances from her that this safeguard would not be removed. The More in Common polling shows the overwhelming majority of the public would want this safeguard in place should an assisted suicide Bill return.
The polling also found 95% of those who took a position were supportive of the need for “strict rules against family or financial pressure on the patient” as a safeguard in cases of assisted suicide. 65% of respondents agreed this safeguard was “essential” and a further 22% said it was “Good to have”.