Assisted suicide law sparks concerns over vulnerable people, says Bishop

Changing the law to allow assisted suicide would bring “fundamental consequences for the whole of society”, warned the Bishop of London, Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, as Lord Falconer introduces a Private Member’s Bill in the Lords.

After Falconer’s seventh attempt to introduce such a Bill, Health Secretary Wes Streeting noted it is time for a debate on assisted suicide but remains personally conflicted.

Lord Falconer’s Bill would permit terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to end their lives.

Though unlikely to pass in the Lords, supporters hope for a similar Bill in the Commons.

For it to become law, the Government must allocate debate time, a commitment by Sir Keir Starmer, who also promised a free vote for MPs.

Bishop Mullally expressed deep concerns: “No amount of safeguards could ensure the safety of the most vulnerable in society.

“We believe that there would be unintended, serious, and fundamental consequences for the whole of society, especially for those at the most vulnerable point of their lives, and for those who love and care for them.”

The Church has called for urgent investment in palliative care services on a number of occasions.

Care Not Killing, an alliance of faith, human rights, and disability rights groups, criticised the Bill. Dr Gordon Macdonald, its chief executive, highlighted the dangers shown in countries like Canada, where loneliness was cited by 1,400 people who ended their lives in 2022.

The debate is further propelled by broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen, who has Stage 4 lung cancer and supports the Bill.

Health Secretary We Streeting remarked, “This will end up being both an ethical debate — ‘is this right in principle?’; and it will also go to being a practical debate – ‘Can this work in practice?’”

In Jersey, a similar Bill passed its first hurdle in May. Legislation is also progressing in the Isle of Man, and the Scottish Parliament will debate it this autumn.