'I'm glad he died'
Gareth Ward, originally from Kent, tells us he 'wishes' assisted dying was an option for his father, Norman Ward
Last updated 12th Nov 2024
A man, originally from Kent has told us he's 'pleased' his father died because it means he is 'no longer suffering.'
Norman Ward from Gravesend was 75 when he took his own life in June 2021 after suffering a stroke. He also had terminal prostate cancer.
His son, Gareth Ward, is now supporting a bill which will legalise assisted dying in the UK.
Currently, assisted suicide is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had said he was “committed” to allowing a vote on legalising assisted dying should his party win the general election, and now one of his MPs is bringing forward a bill.
Today, Kim Leadbeater will formally introduce her bill to give choice at the end of life for the terminally ill, something Gareth says his father 'deserved'.
He said: "Assisted dying is very much something that my dad would have done because we could have all talked about it and come to terms with it rather than the death being so shocking and sudden."
A debate and first vote are expected to take place on November 29th.
If the bill – the formal title of which will be announced on Wednesday – passes the first stage in the Commons, it will go to committee stage where MPs can table amendments, before facing further scrutiny and votes in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Pro-change campaigners Dignity in Dying say that assisted dying allows a person with a terminal condition the choice to control their death if they decide their suffering is unbearable.
They argue that, along with good care, dying people who are terminally ill and mentally competent adults deserve the choice to control the timing and manner of their death.
But the campaign group Care Not Killing uses the terms “assisted suicide” and “euthanasia”, and argues that the focus should be on “promoting more and better palliative care” rather than any law change.
They say legalising assisted dying could “place pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives for fear of being a financial, emotional or care burden upon others” and argue the disabled, elderly, sick or depressed could be especially at risk.
Gareth would say this to those in opposition: "It isn't blanket euthanasia. It's not going to impact other vulnerable groups. It's very, very specific.
"And I would happily sit down and talk to people and try and help them understand why I think this change is so important to support people in in my dad's position so they don't have to do such a drastic thing."