[Tubby Isaacs]

I couldn't be bothered to read it, but I'm sure you're right.

Doesn't somebody think "they've had this argument already from Gordon Brown, Wes Streeting, Uncle Tom Cobbley, and Andy Burnham. Let's hit them with it again!"

[Abernathy]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... dying-bill

Andy Burnham to abstain on assisted dying bill to avoid influencing debate

Not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I’m pleased that he has explicitly said that he does not wish to influence anyone one way or the other on the bill when it comes up in September. I think it’s fairly well known that Burnham is opposed to choice at life’s end, I think on the grounds of his catholic faith, so I would not wish him to influence any MP to vote against the bill. On the other hand, he is being somewhat pusillanimous and equivocal on a bill that embodies an important moral principle - particularly by comparison to Keir Starmer, who supported Kim Leadbeater’s bill and voted for it.

Maybe it’s good politics. I dunno. I just want this bill to get onto the statute book as it properly should.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Think that's fair enough, and better than a vote against it.

I've got no faith that the small group of filibusterers in the Lords won't do exactly the same thing as last time.

[Tubby Isaacs]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... ent-choice

First letter here is good.

My daily reality, like that of just about everyone working in the NHS (and in other healthcare systems), involves doing the best I can within constrained resources. Palliative care provision and social services are not unique in being limited by the funding and staffing available. To say that patients should not be allowed to choose an assisted death until these reach some arbitrary standard defined as acceptable by Mr Ahmed or others begs many questions, and denies patients the ability to control their destiny now.

Sadly a letter follows disagreeing which suggests (a new one to me) that the latest bill must fail because it doesn't require deaths to be referred to a coroner. Hard to see this as anything but a deterrent- choose assisted dying and we'll be looking at your relatives very closely.

I say sadly because the two letter writers are members of the House of Lords.