Clwyd East MP Becky Gittins has explained to her constituents why she voted "yes" in today's House of Commons debate on assisted dying.
By a narrow margin of just 23, Members backed The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which will now progress to the House of Lords where it will face further scrutiny before potentially returning to the House of Commons in due course.
After several hours of emotional debate MPs were allowed to vote in accordance with their personal beliefs, rather than along party lines.
Writing to all those constituents who had contacted her about this issue, Ms Gittins says: "Today, I have voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at its ‘Third Reading’
" I would like to thank the hundreds of constituents who have engaged with me on this topic since its ‘Second Reading’ in November. Whether via email, in my constituency surgeries or through the in-person events I have undertaken to hear the views of constituents. I am so grateful for the contribution that these many conversations have made to my understanding of the Bill and ultimately my decision.
"What has been clear is that my constituents in Clwyd East are very divided on this issue, with many representations being made on both sides of the debate. These opposing representations have interestingly come from constituents of the same faith; constituents with a shared occupation, such as in health or palliative care; and constituents with personal experience of terminal illness, be it their own or that of a family member or friend.
"What unites them all, however, is a recognition that the current state of end of life care in the UK is desperately in need of change. That is why I voted today to include in the Bill a compulsory review of palliative care, reinforcing the case that it is not “either or” and that good palliative care and a limited option for assisted dying should both be treatment options available to the terminally ill."
She adds: "In my view, dignity in dying and freedom from inextinguishable pain comes down to one thing – choice - and today my decision ultimately came down to the importance of giving people that choice over their own lives.
"With the freedom to choose also comes the freedom to not choose. I believe there are as many safeguards as practically possible contained within this Bill to ensure free and fair choice for patients to make this decision in an informed way, free from coercion. I hope that the high level of parliamentary scrutiny that this Bill has received will encourage a more forensic consideration of the role of patient decision-making across the NHS and broader society.
"Throughout the legislative process, the attention given to the needs of the most vulnerable people and the importance of ensuring a free choice has brought an essential focus on the role of coercion, domestic abuse, disability, ableism, and poverty on people’s ability to genuinely make a free decision about their lives – whether on this issue or many others.
"Finally, I would like to note the many people who, regardless of their position on assisted dying, will have found the discourse around this debate in recent months incredibly difficult and traumatic, perhaps rekindling personal experiences of death and dying. Thank you for the openness and kindness that you have shown to me and my fellow parliamentarians in coming to this decision today. As I have said at my in-person events, please remember that all positions on this Bill have been arrived at in good faith and with good intentions."
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