Blackpool South shares views on assisted dying
Fridays are usually spent in the constituency but this week I am in Parliament for the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
This is an incredibly important piece of legislation in an area I know so many constituents care greatly about – assisted dying. Assisted dying is when a terminally ill adult of sound mind can legally seek assistance to end their life via medication, following the approval of doctors. This is currently illegal in the UK.
Last year the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill 2025-2026 was passed by the House of Commons before running out of time in the House of Lords. Therefore the same bill is aiming to successfully pass in 2026-2027, with the first opportunity to debate and vote on Friday. Throughout the past year I have continued to research and consider this topic, taking into account all views and I will be listening carefully to the debate on Friday.
Over 400 of you have responded to my survey on the topic, many of you generously sharing your own experiences and opinions.
Barbara’s brother passed away and she recalled his negative reaction to chemotherapy for bowel cancer. This led to him having to endure a slow and painful death. She is confident that assisted dying could have helped her brother. This story is one of the 59% of respondents to the survey who are in support of assisted dying.
Mark, who is a carrier of a rare cancer gene, described how he has watched his dad, two brothers and sister all die painfully. Tragically his daughter, at just 24, has now been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and is fighting for her life. He has witnessed seemingly endless periods of suffering and believes assisted dying will reduce that.
Not everyone who wrote to me agrees, and their reasons matter just as much. Some constituents oppose the bill on grounds of faith, believing that the choice to end a life – even their own – should not be theirs, or anyone else's to make.
Others oppose it not out of belief but out of fear. Lindsay wrote to me about her mother, who is currently healthy but has said more than once that she doesn't want to be a burden. Her daughter worries that under this law she could make the decision to end her life for the wrong reason.
That fear is exactly what the bill's safeguards are designed to answer. If it passes second reading on Friday, it will go through a robust scrutiny process over the following months, and questions of coercion and vulnerability will be central to that process. The bill's aim throughout is to uphold the principle that whatever people's choices are, they should have good access to the best possible end of life care.
Views on assisted dying divide my constituency and I know many in Blackpool South have strong feelings on this topic. All those who have taken the time and effort to respond to my survey have helped in my considerations as we move closer to Friday's second reading. I will keep in mind many of the heartfelt stories I have received and will share some here too.
"As a community nurse I have looked after many people, at the end of life. I don't think any of the people I looked after would have chosen to end their lives earlier, rather they were holding on to every moment with family. I also nursed my own mother with cancer until finally she ended up in a hospital bed at home on a syringe pump administering pain relief and sedation which kept her comfortable."
– Jessica
"My brother in law died recently and was frightened and in great pain, he knew he was dying and just wanted to go."
– Alicia
“My Brother had a terminal illness and died in the Blackpool hospice surrounded by his family. He received great care from the staff and it allowed his wife and daughters to spend quality time with him and eased their grief at the time of his death.”
– Adrian
"I have advanced prostate cancer, for which there is no cure. I have 5/6 years before things get pretty nasty. I believe I should have the right to choose to die with dignity when the time comes."
– Philip
"My husband died of cancer. We were married for 50 years, my memories of him are watching him in agony, begging for help to end his suffering. For the last week he couldn't be touched anywhere on his body without him screaming in pain. My family remains scarred from this. Is this the way you would want your loved one to die?"
– Lynne
“Both my mother and husband died of cancer. Although they suffered they were treated with dignity and their lives were of great value... none of us felt we had the right to cut life short.”
– Debra
"End of life care in many establishments is not dignified at all. It is painful and a harrowing experience for the person who is being cared for and all their loved ones. These last negative memories outweigh any positives."
– Lizzie
