It’s a big day in parliament tomorrow. Both sides of the assisted dying debate are gearing up for a crunch Commons clash when Kim Leadbeater’s Bill returns for its Third Reading. One key flashpoint in its recently-completed Report Stage was when Rebecca Paul’s amendment to allow hospices to opt out of providing assisted dying was voted down by Leadbeater and 278 other MPs.
Now, Mr S has got his hands on some polling which shows that Paul’s position is backed by nearly two-thirds of the British public (quelle surprise). According to a Whitestone Insights poll of 2,091 adults commissioned by the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics, 64 per cent of the general public agree that ‘if assisted suicide were introduced in the UK, hospices and care homes should have a legal right to opt out of participating in it’, with only 14 per cent disagreeing. Polling was conducted between 4 and 5 June.
When ‘don’t knows’ are removed, this figure jumps to 82 per cent of the public who think there should be a legal opt-out. The leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has already warned that dozens of hospices and care homes could be forced to close if MPs approve the Bill tomorrow. Over to the House of Commons…
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