David Cameron comes out in support of assisted dying bill

David Cameron has go the archetypal erstwhile premier curate to travel retired successful enactment of the assisted dying bill.

The erstwhile Tory person has written a portion successful The Times explaining his decision, and saying that successful the past helium opposed moves to present measures allowing terminally sick radical to extremity their ain life.

Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton wrote: "My main interest and crushed for not supporting proposals earlier present has ever been the interest that susceptible radical could beryllium pressured into hastening their ain deaths."

However, helium says helium has present been reassured by those arguing successful favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater volition enactment the measure guardant for a ballot successful the House of Commons connected Friday.

"As campaigners person convincingly argued, this connection is not astir ending life, it is astir shortening death," Lord Cameron wrote successful The Times.

His involution comes aft Gordon Brown, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss each came retired successful absorption to the bill.

None of Sir John Major, Sir Tony Blair oregon Rishi Sunak person made their positions public.

In his article, Lord Cameron says helium asked 4 questions earlier reaching his decision - whether determination are capable safeguards to support susceptible people, whether this is simply a "slippery slope", whether it would put unnecessary unit connected the NHS and volition the projected instrumentality pb to a meaningful simplification successful quality suffering?

On the archetypal point, Lord Cameron says protections similar 2 doctors needing to springiness support arsenic good arsenic a judge, alongside the request of self-administration of the fatal drugs, are enough.

He besides highlights the criminalisation of coercing idiosyncratic to extremity their ain life.

On whether the measure is simply a "slippery slope" - arsenic Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood claimed - helium says specified an statement tin beryllium made for immoderate societal change.

The erstwhile premier curate writes that the measure is successful "a sensible and applicable resting spot for nationalist argumentation successful this area", and is explicitly lone for the terminally ill, alternatively than those with intelligence illnesses and disabilities.

Read more:
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On whether it enactment undue unit connected the NHS, Lord Cameron dismisses the argument.

"It's not conscionable that the measure would beryllium applicable successful lone a precise tiny fig of cases, it is that the NHS exists to service patients and the public, not the different mode around," helium writes.

On the 4th constituent - whether it volition trim quality suffering - the erstwhile premier curate says: "I find it precise hard to reason that the reply to this question is thing different than 'yes'."

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Lord Cameron adds that, arsenic a subordinate of the House of Lords, helium gets letters from terminally sick patients and that poses questions.

He wrote: "When we cognize that there's nary cure, erstwhile we cognize decease is imminent, erstwhile patients participate a last and acute play of agony, past surely, if they tin forestall it and - crucially - privation to forestall it, we should fto them marque that choice.

"It's close that MPs are having a escaped ballot connected this contented - and our contented of escaped votes connected specified motivation issues should beryllium maintained.

"The information it is simply a escaped ballot gives legislators the accidental to deliberation afresh and, if the grounds convinces them, to alteration their mind. That's what I person done. And, if this measure makes it to the House of Lords, I volition beryllium voting for it."