Assisted dying is already happening but has been forced “underground” due to the current ban, a Tory peer has warned. Lord Nick Markham’s mother — a Marie Curie nurse who supported terminally ill people — was diagnosed with late-stage womb cancer in 2007, after suffering from a backache.
He described during a House of Lords debate in September how hospice staff “helped her to take an earlier train” when she was in pain at the end of her life. Lord Markham told the Express: “I hadn’t thought about [assisted dying] massively before, but I think I would have said I was generally in favour, because I’m all about choice and personal autonomy.
“My experience since then is that this happens quite a lot. There are a lot of people who have the same story.
“A lot of this happens in an informal way, it’s a bit of a postcode lottery, it’s underground.”
Lord Markham, who joined the House of Lords in October 2022, said the current ban “allows abusive situations to happen” and means some people turn to Dignitas, often travelling alone and dying earlier.
Introducing a carefully safeguarded law would “make it above board” and ensure “a very thorough process of checks by the doctors and panel”.
There is “overwhelming support” among peers for getting the Bill through the Lords, Lord Markham said.
However, a small minority of opponents have engaged in “endless repetition” and lengthy speeches to delay progress. This means the House will almost certainly run out of time before reaching a third reading vote on the legislation.
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He added: “I want it to pass, but I would much prefer there was a vote. And if it’s voted down, it’s voted down — at least that’s the Lords giving its opinion.
“If it’s talked out then just a small handful of people are effectively making the decision, not the whole House.”
Lord Markham added that, should the Parliament Act come into play, peers will not have the same opportunity to scrutinise and amend the Bill during a second session.
He said he believes assisted dying will be legalised in the UK, “even if not this time around”.
The peer added: “Around 70% of the public support it, and that’s the other thing the Lords needs to be aware of.
“It’s got overwhelming support and the Commons has passed it — it’s not a good look for us to be on the wrong side of that.”
