One NI MP backs law change in England and Wales

Only one of Northern Ireland’s MPs has supported controversial new assisted dying legislation in a key vote in the House of Commons.

Colum Eastwood, of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), backed the bill, which would allow terminally ill adults with six months or less to live to get medical assistance to end their own life.

The legislation will only apply in England and Wales.

It was voted through the final stage in the commons by 314 to 291 – a majority of 23.

The Democratic Unionist Party’s (DUP) five MPs voted against the legislation, along with Ulster Unionist MP Robin Swann, Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood, Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister and Independent MP Alex Easton.

SDLP leader Claire Hanna was absent from Westminster but has abstained in previous votes.

Opposing the legislation, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said it was a not a bill which offered “light or hope or dignity”.

He added: “It is not a safeguard for the dying, but it is the removable of protections for the vulnerable.”

But Eastwood said it was right that people “get the opportunity in a very limited and very protected circumstances to die a in a way which gives them more comfort than we are doing now”.

“We all know these things are happening, people with lots of money can go to Switzerland,” he added.

“We need to ensure that it is available to more people, and it is important that a legal framework is put around this.”

Swann said the bill “seriously lacks” any safeguards for those with disabilities.

“This now means doctors can raise ending a patient’s life, no matter how vulnerable the patient is, including those with learning disabilities and doctors only need to be 51% sure the patient is not being coerced,” he said.

Easton said the bill was “unsafe” and did not provide safeguards for vulnerable people as he called for more funding for palliative care.

Allister described the vote as a “sad day for our nation”.

“For the first time since the abolition of capital punishment, the state is set to be involved in facilitating the death of its own citizens,” he said.

While the legislation will not apply in Northern Ireland, MPs passed an amendment which will allow the lethal drugs used in assisted dying to be manufactured in Northern Ireland.

Opposing the amendment, Swann said that, unlike elsewhere in the UK, workers will not be able to decline working on those drugs for personal beliefs.

“The conscious clause has been extended to England, Scotland and Wales but not to Northern Ireland,” he added.

A ban on adverts promoting assisted dying will also be extended to Northern Ireland.

Sinn Féin’s seven MPs do not take their seats in the House of Commons but a spokesperson said the party supported assisted dying under “limited grounds”.

“Given the sensitivity and complexity of this issue it would be most appropriate that the health minister would bring forward legislation on assisted dying,” the spokesperson added.

But in a statement the Northern Ireland Department of Health said it had “no plans to bring forward legislation on assisted dying”.

“In Northern Ireland, assisting or encouraging suicide or killing someone on compassionate grounds remains a criminal offence,” the statement said.