Penrith MP indicates he will vote against assisted dying bill
A Cumbrian MP has indicated that he is likely to vote against the assisted dying bill - despite previously voting for it.
The Labour MP for Penrith and Solway Markus Campbell-Savours told the BBC that he still is "a supporter of assisted dying" but said the proposed bill crosses a 'red line' in protecting the vulnerable.
Cumbria's MPs were split on the issue when it was first voted on in parliament with Josh MacAlister (Whitehaven and Workington, Labour) and Markus Campbell-Savours (Penrith and the Solway, Labour) voting for the bill and Julie Minns (Carlisle, Labour), Michelle Scrogham (Barrow, Labour) and Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale, Liberal Democrat) all voting against the bill.
Opponents to changing the law have argued some people could feel pressured to have an assisted death against their will and have called for more focus on improving and ensuring equal access to palliative care.
Campaigners who are terminally ill or have watched loved ones die in pain have called the existing legislation 'unbelievably cruel' and pointed out that animals suffering severely can be legally euthanised.
Since the last vote, Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, has brought forward amendments for a so-called 'judge plus' system, after hearing concerns during expert evidence sessions last month.
She has now proposed a judge-led Voluntary Assisted Dying Commission that she said would give a greater role to experts, including psychiatrists and social workers, in overseeing applications.
The commission would be led by a High Court judge or a senior former judge and receive all applications and reports from two independent doctors, which would then be referred to a three-member panel chaired by what has been described as a senior legal figure.
READ MORE: RSPCA issues warning after cat dies of antifreeze poisoning in Cumbria | News and Star
"I want to see safeguards that will ensure that assisted dying is not overextended to include those in situations where there are alternative ways to improve the quality of their lives," said Mr Campbell-Savours to the BBC.
"I would also be very concerned if legislation produced a situation where people who considered themselves a burden on their families and friends felt pressured to end their life."
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