Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Baroness Hodge of Barking Excerpts

Friday 12th September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hodge of Barking (Lab)]

My Lords, while I respect the views of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of London, I speak in support of the Bill, in support of the principle of assisting people to die with dignity and in firm support of the legislation before us.

In my view, we are presented with a straightforward choice. Are we prepared to allow people in this country who are facing certain and imminent death to choose how they die? I want that choice for myself. I would have wanted that choice for those close to me whom I have seen die in terrible agony. I want it for the 650 terminally ill individuals who take their own lives each year; for the thousands of the terminally ill who attempt suicide each year; and for the roughly 50 who travel, often alone, to Dignitas each year; and for the many who die in pain each day, even with the very best of palliative care. I ask each and every noble Lord to reflect on whether, whatever they want for themselves, they are prepared to deny others the choice of how they wish to die. Who are we to deny others their right to choose? Denying choice represents a fundamental attack on the freedom and right of individuals to control their lives at that terrible time when they are dying.

There are those who argue that they are not opposing the principle of assisted dying, they just want yet more time for yet more consideration of yet more changes. I must say to noble Lords that I had 30 years in the House of Commons and I have never seen such scrutiny, such openness to considering amendments and such attention to detail as I saw when watching the Bill make its way through the House of Commons. We are deeply indebted to my honourable friend the Member for Spen Valley for the collaborative and collegiate way in which she steered her Bill through the Commons.

We have ample time here to fulfil our role to consider further amendments and to improve and revise the Bill during the consideration of its processes. Sadly, I have come to the view that those who have tabled the Motion to delay the passing of the Bill are more committed to killing the Bill than improving it. For that would, I fear, be the inevitable consequence if we adopt the proposal to establish a Select Committee.

We are not elected, so in carrying out our duties we must look beyond our own interests and views and listen to public opinion on this very personal and sensitive issue. We know from the most recent surveys that nearly three in four members of the public want us to make it lawful for an individual to seek assistance in dying in the UK. We also know that nearly four in five of those who live with a disability support a change in the law, and that two in three respondents, with faith, also expressed support for the law.

The time has now come to change this law. Across the world, jurisdictions are introducing laws to enable assisted dying. We should proudly be the standard bearers of this important societal change in Britain, and we should demonstrate, by our support for the Bill, care and compassion for those who need it most: those who are coming to the end of their lives and dying.