Campaigners shared deeply personal family stories as they gathered outside Parliament to show their support for the assisted dying bill ahead of a five-hour Commons debate on Friday. Anil Douglas, 36, joined Dignity in Dying’s rally in the early morning. His dad Ian took his own life the day before his 60th birthday by ingesting an overdose of opioids obtained from the dark web, while suffering from secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.
Anil, of Deptford in London, told the Express: "His death is a very good example of why the current law isn't working. He made very lonely and dangerous decisions in a bid to end his own life and end his suffering. It could have been so different. It could have been a much safer, more compassionate, fairer death that would have left those of us left behind with far fewer scars."
Terminally ill bowel cancer patient Nathaniel Dye also delivered a powerful plea for law change. The music teacher, 39, told the crowd he had more than 50 tumours in his lungs and would soon face a time when there is “no light at the end of the tunnel”.
He added: “Assisted dying is for when all hope, even for the most optimistic people — and I consider myself that type of person — when all hope is gone.”
Nathaniel said he did not want his family to have to “look me in the eye and guess how much I am suffering as my life slips away”.
“I don’t want to beg. I don’t want to plead to end my life because I’m suffering too much…we can avoid that.”
Urging MPs to back the Bill next week so it can progress to the House of Lords, he added: “My very death depends on it.”
Dignity in Dying chief executive Sarah Wootton told the crowd she believed the legislation would be voted through because “something has shifted”.
She added: “The public understands. Medical opinion has shifted. The momentum is with us, and I hope that Parliament is listening.”
A ban on advertising for assisted dying and a guarantee that no-one will be forced to play a role in the service were among amendments backed by MPs during the second day of report stage debate.
It marked another crucial milestone for the legislation and the Express Give Us Our Last Rights crusade, ahead of a third reading vote which is expected to take place next Friday.
Several amendments to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill were put forward by its sponsor, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.
These included a clause setting out that “no person is under any duty” to participate in the assisted dying process, including medical practitioners and pharmacists.
MPs also supported an amendment requiring the Government to create regulations prohibiting advertisements that promote assisted dying.
Labour MP Paul Waugh, who opposes the Bill, warned that adverts could be shared on TikTok and proposed a further amendment to more strictly limit exceptions to the ban, however this was rejected.
MPs also voted in favour of an amendment that imposes a duty on the Secretary of State to make regulations about the life-ending medications that would be used.
Speaking for the Government, health minister Stephen Kinnock addressed complaints from some MPs that the Bill had not received enough time for proper scrutiny.
He said the legislation had received more than 90 hours of parliamentary time which is “more than most bills”, with over 500 amendments considered during the committee stage.
The debate was heated at times and MPs were urged to mind their language after words like "murder" and "suicide" were used.
Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden's voice cracked with emotion as she told the House: "Twenty-three years ago next week my husband died of terminal cancer.
"He was in extreme pain and was given morphine to relieve his pain. And, as the pain got worse, he was given more morphine so that he could die gently and not in complete agony.
"This is about helping people die in a civilised way and helping their families not go through a horrendous experience of watching a loved one die in agony.
"To call it murder and killing is so wrong, and I think we have a duty to mind our language about this Bill. It's about helping people die quickly and with dignity, it's about assisted dying."
