06 June 2025
Dr Walter Veit, Lecturer in Philosophy and Director of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics program at the 黑料不打烊, responds to the growing opposition among MPs against the Assisted Dying Bill. For interviews, contact the 黑料不打烊 Press Office on 0118 378 5757 or pressoffice@reading.ac.uk.
Dr Walter Veit said: “It is shameful that MPs are now wavering in their support for the assisted-dying bill. When and how people choose to die is not a matter for government interference. The call for safeguards may sound plausible at first. Yet it has often been misused to strip patients of their freedom and autonomy.
“Recall that this bill is already very modest. It applies only to terminally ill patients expected to die within six months. Countries such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, which offer far broader choice, have not seen the dystopian outcomes predicted by fear-mongers. They have not experienced widespread coercion or pressure on vulnerable people. Potential—but unlikely—risks must be weighed against the very real harm of forcing people to endure months, or even years, of horrific suffering. It hardly requires argument for which direction the scale tips.”
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