Narrow majority of voters back assisted dying, new poll shows
More than half of voters support proposed legislation to legalise assisted dying, new polling shows, on the eve of a historic parliamentary vote on the plans.
MPs will vote on the issue for the first time in 15 years on Friday when the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, a private members’ bill introduced by the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, is brought to the Commons for a second reading.
According to exclusive polling for The i Paper conducted by BMG Research, 54 per cent of adults support the plans for assisted dying, while 16 per cent oppose.
Just over a fifth – 21 per cent – said they neither supported nor opposed the bill while 7 per cent said they didn’t know.
Despite the majority support for the change in policy, the figures suggest there has been a narrowing in the overall backing for assisted dying compared with other recent polls.
Last week, a survey by More in Common showed 65 per cent of those who have a view on the topic were in favour of a change in the law, while earlier YouGov polling showed 73 per cent were supportive “in principle”.
Other recent polls have put support at between 66 and 74 per cent, although it is not possible to make direct comparisons due to differences in methodology, numbers and areas polled.
It comes as MPs will have a free vote on the issue on Friday, meaning members will be able to vote on the bill according to their conscience rather than along party lines.
The bill has consumed Parliament and risked overshadowing the Government’s agenda, with Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet split over whether there should be a change in the law.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting broke ranks to publicly say he was against the proposals because of the challenge it would pose to the NHS in its current state, which would have to implement any changes.
The highly charged debate has left many MPs leaving it to the last minute to make up their minds. While some may support or object on the basic principle of the right to end life if a person is terminally ill or in unbearable pain, discussions have also raised the issue of the poor state of palliative care in the UK.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown raised this concern, citing the death of his daughter, Jennifer Jane, aged only 11 days, in 2002.
Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Theresa May are other former prime ministers to have spoken against the law, but David Cameron on Thursday said he was in favour. Rishi Sunak said earlier this year that he wasn’t against such a law ‘in principle’.
The Prime Minister has not publicly declared a position and is unlikely to do so – although he has previously indicated he is in favour.
A recent survey of MPs by The i Paper, which collected the views of two-thirds of the Commons, found that the majority are likely to support the legislation, however.
Out of the 437 MPs who have either stated their position publicly or confirmed it anonymously, 45 per cent stated that they were supportive of the legislation, compared to 37 per cent opposed and 17 per cent who either planned to abstain or remained undecided.
Liberal Democrat MPs are the most likely to support the bill, with 78 per cent of the party’s 72 MPs expressing support. Overall, 56 Lib Dem MPs have said they are in favour, while just four are opposed.
Among Labour MPs with a stated position, just over half have said they favour the bill, while just under a third are opposed. And 153 of the party’s MPs are expected to vote in favour, while 97 are likely to oppose.
With many MPs unlikely to make their minds up until the last minute it is likely any vote will be close either way. If it is passed it is unlikely to come in to effect for some time as the practicalities of how it would be implemented, and water-tight safeguards would need working out.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, are largely opposed to the legislation. Among the MPs whose views The i Paper was able to confirm, 72 per cent were against the bill, while 19 per cent were in favour. Only 20 Tory MPs are expected to vote for the bill compared to 76 who are set to vote against it.
Interestingly, support for a law change is highest among older people, with 67 per cent of 55-64 year olds in favour, and 61 per cent backing among over-65s.
However, there is a drop off among those in middle age and millennials with fewer than half – 48 per cent – of 35 to 44-year-olds in favour, and 44 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds supportive.
Oliver White, pollster at BMG, who led the survey said that the general public appeared less divided than the Commons.
“It would be hard to find a private members bills in recent years which has attracted as much attention as the assisted dying bill. Three-quarters of the British public have heard at least something about the bill, including a third of British adults who have heard a lot about the bill,” White said.
And he added: “While the context of British public opinion is clear, it will not a good indicator of the results of Friday’s vote. The specifics of the bill, MPs personal views, even parliamentary time allocated to debate, have all been noted as reasons for MPs who have declared how they will be voting. They will be just as important as public opinion when the parliamentary votes are tallied.”
