Well, on Friday the Commons voted in favour of the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (aka the Assisted Suicide Act) by a majority of 55. Kim Leadbeater bravely introduced the Bill. There was silence in the chamber when the result was announced, but loud cheers by campaigners outside.
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I wasn’t surprised. I was disappointed, but as Canute (or Cnut) knew you can’t turn back the tide. So when people express their sympathy, my honest feeling is that I'm relieved that the vote is over. I think I’ve done my bit to stem the flow, but maybe my job is done now. I’m sure the bill will be extended, despite the ‘cast iron’ safeguards. It will come to include the chronically ill, people under 18, even the depressed. The tide will continue to come in and unlike the sea it will not ebb again.
So ironically the Labour Party which is rightly proud of having set up the National Health Service in 1948 will almost certainly be responsiblef for setting up a National Death Service. As Shabana Masood, Secretary of State for Justice, wisely warned, "The state should never offer death as a service." I fear we will come to regret Friday's vote in the long run.
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