Majority of Brits support legalising assisted dying as bid to change law begins

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater introduced a caller measure to Parliament to let terminally sick radical to extremity their lives - the archetypal clip assisted dying volition spell earlier MPs successful astir a decade

A bulk of Brits enactment changing the instrumentality connected assisted dying, polling shows.

Research by Stonehaven recovered 57% agreed with legalising assisted dying, portion 27% neither hold nor disagree and 16% disagree. Support was broadly accordant crossed antithetic elector groups - 58% of Labour and Conservative voters, 63% of Lib Dems and 59% of Reform UK supporters.

Over 2 thirds (68%) hold that they ‘support it but lone with beardown protections successful place. Just implicit a 5th (21%) hold with the connection ‘I afloat reason legalising assisted dying’.

It comes arsenic a caller measure to let terminally sick radical to extremity their lives was formally introduced to Parliament for the archetypal clip successful a decade. Labour’s Kim Leadbeater, who is starring the complaint to alteration the law, said susceptible radical volition not beryllium enactment astatine hazard arsenic it volition lone use to the terminally ill.

The Bill's agelong rubric states that it would "allow adults who are terminally ill, taxable to safeguards and protections, to petition and beryllium provided with assistance to extremity their ain life".

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby warned of a "slippery slope" wherever radical could consciousness compelled to extremity their lives. He told the BBC: "I deliberation this attack is some unsafe and sets america successful a absorption which is adjacent much dangerous, and successful each different spot wherever it's been done, has led to a slippery slope."

But Ms Leadbeater insisted she was listening to each concerns and was moving to marque definite the authorities would lone use to terminally sick adults. "The wellness inequalities successful this country, the unit that disabled radical consciousness and the information that they don't consciousness they've got the aforesaid rights arsenic different people, let's code those issues, and I volition champion those causes each time long,” she said.

"But this is astir radical who are terminally ill, who conscionable privation the autonomy to person the prime to extremity their lives successful a mode that they consciousness much comfy with, that respects their household and their friends and their loved ones.”

It comes arsenic the UK's apical doctors said changing the instrumentality indispensable not undermine proviso of end-of-life attraction - and medics should beryllium escaped to determine whether to instrumentality portion successful immoderate caller service. The missive was signed by England's main aesculapian officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, and his counterparts for the 4 UK nations, alongside the nationalist aesculapian manager for NHS England.

They said: "Whatever Parliament decides, we judge the aesculapian assemblage volition beryllium unanimous connected 2 things: that we indispensable not undermine the proviso of bully end-of-life attraction for all, including the outstanding enactment done by palliative attraction clinicians; (and) that idiosyncratic doctors and different healthcare workers should beryllium capable to workout state of conscience as, for example, happens with termination attraction currently."

MPs are expected to statement the projected authorities successful precocious November. It was past debated successful Parliament successful 2015 erstwhile a akin measure was defeated by 330 votes to 118. Assisted dying is treated arsenic a substance of conscience, truthful MPs volition not beryllium ordered to ballot on enactment lines.

Ciara Dullaghan, Political Advisor astatine Stonehaven, said: “While determination is simply a wide bulk successful support, which cuts crossed enactment lines, galore Members of Parliament volition beryllium looking person to location wrong their constituencies for a steer from their section voters connected however they take to vote.”

:: Stonehaven surveyed 2,220 British adults online betwixt 7-9 Oct