GIDEON AMOS, MP for Taunton and Wellington was the only Somerset MP to vote against the Assisted Dying Bill on Friday, November 29, 2024.
The Commons backed the Bill by 330 votes in favour to 275 against, a majority of 55 – meaning the Bill is one step closing towards being legalised.
Those who voted for the Bill include Somerset MPs Adam Dance, Ashley Fox and Sadik Al-Hassan.
READ MORE: Somerset MPs voting in favour of the Assisted Dying Bill
Context
The Assisted Dying Bill, sponsored by Kim Leadbeater, MP, is a plan to allow adults who are terminally ill, subject to safeguards, to be assisted in ending their own life.
The bill stipulates that the person must have the mental capacity to make a choice about the end of their life, and must express a “clear, settled and informed” wish, free from coercion or pressure.
The bill excludes disability and mental illness as eligibility criteria. If it eventually becomes law, only permanent residents of England and Wales registered with a GP for at least 12 months will be eligible.
The life-ending medication must be administered by the patient and cannot be administered by a health professional or anyone else.
Gideon Amos MP’s statement
In light of the majority backing the Bill, Gideon Amos has released an official statement about his reasons for voting against the Assisted Dying Bill.
“I completely agree that people need better help at the end of life and assisting people with living happily and comfortably right up to the end, that means better palliative care, should be the priority,” Mr. Amos said.
“For me, handing to the state the role of assisting people to die, when the alternative option of a real right to live comfortably isn’t there, could be very dangerous for vulnerable people who all too often face coercion already in many areas of their lives.”
“My worry is that many who already say they feel they are a burden on others will now put themselves under an unseen and unheard pressure to bring their lives to an end early,” he added.
“I hope those who promoted this Bill will ensure, as they promised, that more investment in end-of-life care will become a reality and that, in the next stage, the Bill Committee will look for ways to protect the most vulnerable when assisted dying comes into force.”
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