Vote on assisted dying summons ultra-rare Commons sight: intelligent debate
The emotion on display during five hours of heated discussion speaks to the complexity and importance of the bill itself
This was the Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater’s bill so she got to talk first. Horror stories of people dying agonising deaths – deaths that no one would wish on their worst enemies. Jennie the guide dog snoozed in an aisle. Her dreams untroubled. She knew that when the time comes, her end will be painless and swift. Even if not of her conscious choosing.
Although there are good arguments on both sides, it's not a complex issue, the main point for each side may be stated in a single paragraph. However it is an opportunity to air a cascade of emotional anecdotes and imaginary scenarios. Political actors and comfort-zone media such as the Grauniad love all that.
The independent Adnan Hussain thought we had already started assisted dying by removing the winter fuel allowance. For the only time in the debate, cries of “shame” were heard.
Of course they cried "shame" - what a spoilsport.
3 comments:
As with many things those proposing legislation assume, not only that the law will have the only the intended effect, but that they (or people of like mind) will be judge, jury, and legislator.
We had a lecture and a discussion about Assisted Dying at the Cathedral last week. The lecturer was a specialist in medical ethics and the law, and the clerics kept bringing things back to religion (well, they would...) but what struck me was how nearly everyone else relied entirely on harrowing personal anecdotes. And, as you say, imagined scenarios. Most of what I have seen of the Commons debate mirrored that. They all seemed to be greatly enjoying themselves, though, full of a sense of their own importance.
djc - yes, that's where the complexity lies and it doesn't matter what the law says, unintended consequences will emerge.
Sam - I didn't watch, but could tell from the reports that MPs enjoyed it and sucked up the sense of importance and the occasion.
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