‘Not Dead Yet UK’ has launched the ‘Resistance’ campaign to highlight the dangers of legalising assisted suicide. In light of recent attempts to liberalise the law, the initiative, which CCFON is supporting, calls for MPs to sign the Resistance Charter promising to maintain legal protection for all terminally ill and disabled people.
The charter’s key points include:
- A recognition that disabled and terminally ill people should have the same legal protection as others.
- A commitment to support access by disabled and terminally ill constituents to the health, social and other services that they need.
- A commitment to oppose any change to the current law, which makes assisted suicide illegal.
The timing of the campaign to highlight the dangers of legalising assisted suicide is especially pertinent given the high number of MPs new to Westminster and the pressure to reduce spending on public services.
Baroness Jane Campbell of Surbiton, convenor for Not Dead Yet UK, said:
“There have been two attempts to weaken assisted dying legislation in the past four years, with further discussions taking place in the Scottish parliament now. We face a bleak situation if calls for assisted suicide to be lawful are renewed whilst vital services are being withdrawn or denied.”
“Disabled and terminally ill people need help and support to live, not to die. We cannot allow others to speak for us; especially those who seek to offer us the choice of a premature death. It is not a choice—it is to abandon us”.
Action points: