Assisted dying: opening Pandora’s box

The starting pistol has been fired in the race to legalise assisted suicide.

After appearing before the End of Choice All Party Parliamentary Group, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock then wrote to the national statistician, Ian Diamond, requesting information on the number of terminally-ill patients who had killed themselves because of their diagnosis. Mr Hancock wants a new debate on the issue and there are plenty other MPs who want the same.

This debate was always going to resurface. Even though the last major attempt to change the law in 2015 was roundly and comprehensively defeated by 330-118, proponents of assisted suicide have continued to pursue law change. They spent a number of years trying to use legal cases through the courts to force Parliament’s hand. But when all of these failed, they switched focus back to Parliament. They boast confidently of having changed the minds of 100 MPs since the issue was debated in 2015. Who knows whether this is true or not, but pressure is clearly building.