Latest news with #assisteddying
Reuters
7 days ago
- Health
- Reuters
Slovenia state body vetoes assisted dying law, sends it back to parliament
SARAJEVO, July 23 (Reuters) - A top state body in Slovenia has vetoed new legislation to allow assisted dying, saying it raised complex philosophical, ethical and legal issues that needed to be tackled, STA news agency reported on Wednesday. Parliament last week approved a bill giving terminally-ill adults the right to end their lives if they face unbearable suffering with no expectation of improvement, echoing decisions by an increasing number of countries including Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium and some U.S. states. The legislation follows a consultative referendum last year in which 55% of voters called for such a law. But the National Council - a bipartisan regulatory body grouping senior officials who oversee social, economic and local policies - vetoed the bill in a 20-9 vote late on Tuesday, ordering that it be returned to parliament for review. Opponents on the council cited concerns that the bill could undo respect for the sanctity of life by opening the door to prematurely ending a life regardless of the circumstances. The bill specified that assisted dying could be carried out only once treatment options were exhausted, and would not be allowed in the case of unbearable suffering resulting from mental illness, STA reported earlier.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Former Ipswich MP Tom Hunt expelled from Conservative Party
Former MP Tom Hunt has been asked to leave the Conservative was MP for Ipswich from December 2019 to July 2024, when he lost the seat to Labour's Jack Abbott. The Conservative Party said he had been "expelled from the Conservative Party following a complaints process", but did not provide further said he was "deeply disappointed" by the decision and "strongly refuted the complaint". Hunt was a Conservative district councillor in East Cambridgeshire and worked at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority before he won the Ipswich seat from Labour's Sandy Martin in the 2019 general losing to Abbott, Hunt has been actively campaigning against legalising assisted dying and as recently as 11 July was writing in Conservative Home about his predictions for the bill. A spokesperson for the Conservative Party said the process relating to the complaint which led to the party asking Hunt to leave was "rightly confidential".In a statement, Hunt said: "I am deeply disappointed by this provisional decision."I have strongly refuted the complaint from the start and continue to do so."I am currently seeking legal advice so it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this stage. It's a confidential process."Local Conservatives have described their "surprise" at the turn of Fisher, the Conservative Group leader at Ipswich Borough Council, said: "This has come as a complete surprise to us."He [Tom Hunt] had been in semi-regular contact with Conservatives in the county and they are equally surprised."He went on to say "there was no prior warning or knowledge about the proceedings taking place". Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Dame Joanna Lumley backs assisted dying
Dame Joanna Lumley has voiced her support for assisted dying, indicating she would consider it if she were in a "miserable" state, unable to speak or be fed. The 79-year-old actor backs the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which recently received approval from the House of Commons. This proposed legislation would allow mentally competent adults in England and Wales with a life expectancy of six months or less to apply for an assisted death. MPs passed the bill by a narrow margin of 314 to 291 votes, with notable figures such as Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak voting in favour, while others like Kemi Badenoch opposed it. The bill is now set to move to the House of Lords for further scrutiny, where it is expected to encounter additional opposition.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Don't let me turn into someone who doesn't recognise the people I love most', says Dame Joanna Lumley as she speaks out in favour of assisted dying
Dame Joanna Lumley has spoken out in support of the controversial assisted dying policy, saying she would not want to carry on if she couldn't recognize her loved ones. The actress, 79, said she supported the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would allow adults with less than six months to live to apply for assisted death. The bill passed a vote in the House of Commons last month, despite objections from Labour ministers and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, and will be discussed in the House of Lords in the autumn. Dame Joanna, known for starring as Patsy in the BBC comedy Absolutely Fabulous. was asked about the bill in an interview with Saga Magazine. She said: 'People are terribly anxious about it and think you may be coerced. 'But I'm saying this now, when nobody's coercing me - don't let me turn into somebody who doesn't recognize the people I love most, where I'm having a miserable time. 'When I get to that stage, when my mind is gone and I have to be fed, that won't be me any more - and I wouldn't mind saying "farewell".' TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen has been another vocal supporter of the bill and recently urged the Lords not to block the legislation. Dame Esther, 85, has terminal cancer and is being backed by her daughter Rebecca Wilcox. The support from Dame Joanna has been welcomed by campaigner Louise Shackleton. Mrs Shackleton, 58, is currently being investigated for taking her terminally ill husband Anthony, 59, to Switzerland last December to assist his suicide, after he had suffered from motor neurone disease for six years. She told The Mirror that she is set to bury his ashes today on what would have been his 60th birthday She added: 'He would have been overwhelmed that such a huge star has spoken out. 'I would like to thank Joana on behalf of fellow campaigners for having the courage to speak out and to represent the vast majority of people who are in agreement with what she is saying but haven't got her platform. 'Hopefully there will be measured, educated and community focused progress to move this forward.' The bill did have opponents from all parties including Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick. Writing for the Daily Mail, he revealed how he helped look after his grandmother, Dorothy, as a teenage boy – and how she continued to bring joy to the family as she defied a terminal diagnosis for nearly a decade. He said the prospect of legalising assisted dying 'fills me with dread', adding: 'My Nana felt like she was a burden. I know how much she hated the indignity she felt at having to ask my Mum or us to help her with basic needs. 'People like her – and there are many such people – may consider an assisted death as another act of kindness to us. How wrong they would be. 'Our society pays little regard to end of life care. We need to do much more as a country to help the elderly, like my Nana, in their final years. 'But my experience has taught me that there can be dignity in death, and that even in someone's twilight years, there is joy to be extracted from life. 'So I'll be voting No. And as I do so, I'll be thinking of my great pal – my Nana, Dorothy.' Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urged her MPs to vote against the legislation, describing it as 'a bad Bill' despite being 'previously supportive of assisted suicide'. Mother of the House Diane Abbott also asked MPs to vote against the bill, saying: 'There is no doubt that if this Bill is passed in its current form, people will lose their lives who do not need to, and they will be amongst the most vulnerable and marginalised in our society.'
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joanna Lumley ‘wouldn't mind' assisted dying if she got to a ‘miserable' state
Actress Dame Joanna Lumley has said she 'wouldn't mind' undergoing assisted dying if she reached a 'miserable' state where she was unable to talk or eat without help. The 79-year-old said she supported the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which was backed by MPs in the Commons last month, that would allow terminally ill adults with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death. Asked about the Bill in an interview with Saga Magazine, Dame Joanna said: 'People are terribly anxious about it and think one may be coerced (into voluntary euthanasia). 'But I'm saying this now when nobody's coercing me, don't let me turn into somebody who doesn't recognise the people I love most, where I'm having a miserable time. 'When I get to the stage where I can't speak and have to be fed, that won't be me any more and that's when I wouldn't mind saying farewell.' The Bill would see those wishing to go through assisted dying require approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. It will next come before the House of Lords for further debate and votes. One of the Bill's most high-profile backers has been TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen, 85, who has terminal cancer, and recently urged members of the House of Lords not to block the legislation. Dame Joanna is best known for her roles as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, Sapphire in ITV supernatural series Sapphire And Steel, and in The New Avengers, the 1970s revamped version of 1960s ITV spy series The Avengers. She will appear in season two of Netflix supernatural series Wednesday as Grandmama in August.
