Members of the Welsh Assembly tonight voted against supporting assisted dying, in a second blow to the campaign today.
AMs in Cardiff were asked to vote on a motion calling for the Welsh Government to support the principles of assisted dying.
While assisted dying is a matter of criminal law, and not a devolved power in Wales, it is a further blow to the moment of Esther Rantzen’s campaign, following Wes Streeting’s move to oppose the Bill this morning.
The Welsh politicians voted against the Bill by a majority of 26 to 19, with nine abstentions.
It was opposed by cross-party members of the Senedd, including Labour, Tories and Plaid Cymru.
Conservative AM Joel James warned that a change in law will set a dangerous precedent and cause unintended consequences.
He warned: “It has been repeatedly proven that assisted dying laws when introduced descend into … problems from coercion by relatives to the hand picking of specific doctors.”
Plaid Cymru’s Delyth Jewell agreed, telling the chamber: “My fear with this motion – well, my terror, really – is not so much with how it will begin as with how it will end.”
Had members of the Senedd voted in favour of the Bill, it would have resolved to call on the Welsh Government to support the introduction of an assisted dying law at Westminster.
The debate continues in Westminster, ahead of the crunch vote by MPs on November 29.
This morning Wes Streeting came out against assisted dying, warning that the state of the NHS means he can not back the move being pushed by backbencher Kim Leadbeater.
He told a meeting of Labour MPs that the quality of Britain’s end-of-life care is not good enough for patients to make an informed choice about ending their lives.
His announcement, a u-turn on his previous support of the policy, means he joins justice secretary Shabana Mahmood also opposing the bill.
She told the Times she will vote against it because of her “unshakeable belief in the sanctity and the value of human life”.
This evening Dame Esther Rantzen penned a furious letter to Mr Streeting, asking how he can support the current law which “will force me to fly to Dignitas in Zurich to die alone”.
The veteran broadcaster ended her message by asking Mr Streeting: “What kind of health Minister are you, if you have no respect or understanding for the views of terminally ill patients?”
