All of Cornwall's MPs vote in support of Assisted Dying Bill
It'll now move to 'committee stage' where it'll be subject to further scrutiny
All six Cornwall MPs voted in favour of allowing assisted dying following an emotional debate in the Commons today (Friday, November 29). The historic vote, with 330 in favour to 275 against, followed five hours of discussion during which MPs shared personal stories.
The bill passing the first stage means it will now be followed by months of parliamentary scrutiny and approval before it becomes law. Cornwall’s MPs – Labour’s Anna Gelderd, Noah Law, Perran Moon and Jayne Kirkham, and Liberal Democrats Ben Maguire and Andrew George – all voted to approve the contentious bill, with one of them stating it was a “tortuous decision”.
Anna Gelderd, Labour MP for South East Cornwall, said: “Today, I voted in support of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at its second reading. This was not a decision I took lightly. I want to thank everyone who shared their experiences and opinions, from both sides of the debate, with me. This bill addresses a deeply sensitive issue that touches us all, and I believe that Parliament has a duty to continue this important debate.
“By supporting the bill, we have ensured that these discussions will continue, allowing Parliament to carefully consider the safeguards needed to protect vulnerable people while respecting the dignity and autonomy of those facing terminal illness. This issue deserves thoughtful and thorough debate, and I am committed to representing our community’s concerns throughout this process.”
Camborne, Redruth and Hayle’s Labour MP Perran Moon added: “Today was, without question, the most difficult day I’ve had since I was elected. Over the last few weeks and months I have been grappling with how I would vote on the Assisted Dying Bill.
“I can tell you now that this has been a tortuous decision for me. I am not complaining – this is part of the job. I have received and read hundreds of emails and letters, listened and had hundreds of conversations with constituents, friends, family and experts in the field. You sent me to Parliament to act, not to sit on the fence and duck the big issues.
“On making my decision, I considered very carefully issues relating to the quality of palliative care and the operational capacity of, for example, the high court, both of which remain a concern to me. I listened intently to every single word of the debate and in the end, I chose to vote in favour of the Assisted Dying Bill. I did so because, despite the concerns I mentioned, to kill the bill would have meant that this opportunity for further debate about end of life care would have been eliminated. But I also voted in favour because I believe that a terminally ill person should have the right to choose to die with dignity and surrounded by loved ones, rather than alone or in pain or on a foreign field, having paid thousands of pounds for the ‘privilege’.”
Prior to making his decision today, St Ives and Penzance Lib Dem MP Andrew George said: “I’ve been holding and attending meetings with proponents, opponents, medical and legal experts, consulting and reading widely and studying the detail of what is a carefully constructed bill.
“I have, in principle, been supportive of legislation which would permit terminally ill people (who are competent to do so) to have the power to themselves decide when and how they die, at the very end-of-life, and in a manner which protects them from avoidable suffering and indignity. Of course, as well as having the freedom to make such a choice, our NHS must equally ensure people are offered, and have full access to, the best palliative treatment and end-of-life care.
“I also want to ensure individual health and care workers are able to maintain their right to choose not to take part in assisted dying procedures if they felt it was at odds with their own personal ethical standpoint.”
You can read plenty more about the Assisted Dying Bill, and what it means, here: South West MPs to debate assisted dying bill - everything you need to know