From the editor: Why I’m against assisted suicide

I believe you need to hear both sides of the story.

And yet, when it comes to euthanasia, you probably won’t have. Over the past two decades, much of the British media has published a steady stream of heartbreaking stories involving people who are experiencing unimaginable pain. The “compassionate” response to their suffering, we are told, is to help them kill themselves. 

You might expect me to marshall various Bible verses in support of my pro-life position. But I’ll resist the temptation. Because the truth is, you don’t need to be a Christian to oppose the plans which are being put to parliament this month, you just need to look at the evidence.

Firstly, we are told the bill MPs are considering will only enable terminally ill people to end their lives with medical help. And yet, when other nations have passed similarly restrictive legislation, it hasn’t been long before the goalposts are moved, and the definition of those eligible to end their life has been broadened. In Canada, a 27-year-old was recently approved because she had autism (her father had to seek an injunction through the courts in order to prevent her death). In the Netherlands, euthanasia is legal for those with mental health conditions such as anorexia. And in Belgium, even children can now request assisted suicide.

The evidence is clear. Once you open the door to the principle that some people have the “right” to kill themselves, you’re on a slippery slope.

Secondly, there are many stories which are overlooked. Listen, for example, to Nikki Kenwood’s experience. Before contracting the rare neurological disorder Guillain-Barré Syndrome, where the immune system attacks the nervous system, she was of the view that “if anything happens to me, I don’t want to live.” If the option had been legally available to her, she admits she would have signed an advanced directive to end her life.

When her illness actually manifested, and she was bed-bound for four and a half months, unable to speak, she was desperate to live. But her husband and son had no way of knowing that. “If my family had been asked my wishes, they’d have said I wanted to die. I’d have been euthanised without them knowing I wanted to live.” How many more cases like Nikki’s would we end up with if the UK changed the law? Chillingly, we’d never know.

Finally, there are millions of people living with a terminal diagnosis or who feel they’re a “burden” on their relatives. What message would it send them if we allowed them to legally end their lives? Under the current plans, we would end up with a two-tier system, where the state affirms that some lives are more worth living than others.

That’s why I’ll be writing to my MP this month and urging them to vote against the upcoming Bill. I invite you to join me.

Premier has launched a campaign against assisted suicide. Click here to join it and ask your MP to oppose this legislation