David Cameron becomes first former PM to back assisted dying law change

Lord David Cameron has go the archetypal erstwhile UK premier curate to springiness his backing to moves to legalise assisted dying for terminally-ill adults.

The Conservative erstwhile PM, who was ennobled by Rishi Sunak and served arsenic his overseas secretary, had antecedently opposed moves to alteration the law.

But successful an nonfiction for the Times newspaper, helium said helium had been won implicit to supporting successful the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, acceptable to beryllium debated by MPs connected Friday.

Writing for the Times, Lord Cameron said: “As campaigners person convincingly argued, this connection is not astir ending life, it is astir shortening death.

“Many of these safeguards volition beryllium acquainted from erstwhile proposals. But this caller Bill protects the susceptible inactive further, including by making coercion a transgression offence.”

Former premier ministers Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Baroness Theresa May and Gordon Brown person each said they are opposed to the Bill.

None of them volition person a ballot connected Friday, but Baroness May and Lord Cameron would if the Bill reached the Lords.

“If this Bill makes it to the House of Lords, I volition beryllium voting for it,” Lord Cameron said.

In changing his mind, Lord Cameron said helium had considered whether determination were capable safeguards to support susceptible people, and said helium believed determination were.

He besides suggested helium did not hold with arguments the Bill could beryllium a “slippery slope” to further reforms.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood shared her content the instrumentality alteration could pb to “death connected demand” erstwhile she made wide her opposition.

But Lord Cameron said that “‘Thin extremity of the wedge’ arguments tin beryllium utilized against astir each connection for societal change”.

He added: “I would impulse MPs to prosecute with the substance of the connection successful beforehand of them.

“I judge that determination are beardown arguments for suggesting that it is simply a sensible and applicable resting spot for nationalist argumentation successful this area.”

The Tory adjacent besides said helium did not find arguments the Bill would enactment unnecessary unit connected the NHS convincing.

He said his last information had been whether the instrumentality alteration would “lead to a meaningful simplification successful quality suffering”.

“I find it precise hard to reason that the reply to this question is thing different than ‘yes’,” helium said.

This connection is not astir ending life, it is astir shortening death

Lord David Cameron

Lord Cameron and his predecessor Mr Brown some mislaid children astatine a young age, but person travel to precise antithetic conclusions astir the Bill.

During his clip arsenic absorption person successful 2009, Lord Cameron’s lad Ivan died aged six, aft suffering from a signifier of epilepsy.

Mr Brown – past the premier curate – cancelled their play speech astatine the despatch container retired of respect.

Writing successful the Guardian past week, the erstwhile Labour premier curate shared however the decease of his girl Jennifer astatine 11 days aged had informed his absorption to the Bill.

Mr Brown described that play arsenic “among the astir precious days” of his and his woman Sarah’s lives.

He said helium believed amended palliative care, alternatively than assisted dying, was needed for improved end-of-life support.