Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle Excerpts

Friday 12th September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (GP)]

My Lords, I am speaking far into a frequently heart-rending debate that has included so much about agonising death and so many speeches that deserve to be noted, particularly that of the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, about his father’s death and his own reflections on it.

I speak from a unique position, even as speaker number 85, for the policy of the Green Party of England and Wales is to legally provide, with all the appropriate safeguards, provision for assisted dying. But that does not in any way tie my hands, for the Green Party does not whip, so every vote is a conscience vote. That policy position was extensively debated in the party, and we heard a great many concerns from disabled people, people from global majority communities and people who fear they are discriminated against and badly treated in our current medical system and who fear discrimination here, too. I also heard fears from learning disabled people at an event I hosted earlier this month.

But as the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer, said, the safeguards built into the Bill mean that people are more protected in this than they are in other areas of healthcare. Imposing those protections right across our health service should certainly be a priority, as should fully publicly funded quality palliative care. Polling evidence shows that, overall, disabled people want the same rights as the rest of us when terminally ill.

To lay it out plainly, one of the chief reasons why I will support the Bill is that assisted dying is already available to people in Britain, but only some people: those who have the financial wherewithal and confidence to navigate foreign systems and travel, and the remaining health and capacity to get to Dignitas in Switzerland. That is a profound inequality that leaves some dying in the many harrowing conditions we have heard about today. As we have also heard, it means that people die alone, without their loved ones even knowing of their final choice, for fear of the legal repercussions for those they leave behind, and that people die sooner than they might otherwise because they fear being too ill to travel.

I oppose the amendment from the noble Baroness, Lady Berger, which I am afraid can be regarded only as a wrecking amendment, setting an impossible timetable for the Bill, as the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer, explained. I am not so sure about the obviously constructively intended amendment from the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth. I will listen to further arguments on that.

But, in addressing both of those, I want to make the point that, in progressing to make a new law—particularly a law of conscience such as this, as with the laws on access to abortion and the rights of LGBTIQA+ people—debate does not happen only in Parliament. As the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer, set out, this Bill has already received far more parliamentary attention than many government Bills. But debate and scrutiny does not happen only in Parliament: it happens in the media, in communities and now, of course, on the internet and social media. We should not discount the power and importance of that in shaping the law.

On the level of correspondence that I and many other noble Lords have received about this Bill—for me, hundreds of contacts—the balance of that reflects the views of the public in the polls. I thank all those who have taken the time to be in contact with me about this. That is people’s politics. If we look at the opinion polling, the people have a clear and settled view on the need for assisted dying to be available in the UK, rather than relying on the decisions already made by the people and legislature of Switzerland. The people expect politics to deliver on their view.

Finally, I have been asked to note that my noble friend Lady Jones of Moulsecoomb, who is on medical leave, is listening to this debate from home and wishes to put on record her support for this Bill.