A BILL to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults divided opinion among residents at an emotionally charged public meeting. 

Members of the public gathered at the Theatre Royal in Workington to share their views with Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington, ahead of a vote on the controversial issue.  

Mr MacAlister opened the meeting by saying the views already put to him by constituents were ‘50/50 for and against’.

He told the meeting: “Having spoken to Kim Leadbeater, the MP who has put forward this private members’ bill, I am inclined to support it. It’s quite a narrow application of a change in the law.

“It will only cover people who are deemed to have less than six months to live and will require the sign-off of two doctors and a judge.

“My personal view is with those safeguards in place, I would like people to have the choice and freedom in circumstances where they are going to die, to die in a way that is better. The bill offers the chance of that.”

Mr MacAlister added that he thought the vote would be ‘very close’.

One woman said: “I feel like I’m against it, as a Christian. We, in this country, have amazing palliative care. But there’s not enough of it because we have been underfunded for years. Until we’ve got a proper system for end of life care, I don’t think we should be having this discussion.”

A man said: “I’m not sure I have the confidence that we can maintain these parameters. Once a rite has been produced, it would be very difficult for politicians to take that rite away. It’s a cliché, but it’s a slippery slope.”

Another woman said: “I’m definitely against it. I think there are a very small number of people who will want it and it will create a huge precedent for a lot of people.

“People will start to feel they are a burden on society, on their family. When does the right to die become the obligation to die?

“I think you will be doing a very dangerous thing that we will remember you did, if that’s how you vote.”

A man said: “I hope the bill goes through. It doesn’t meant to say everybody will choose to die but we have a choice. I think that’s important in our society. We should be able to choose and we should be able to choose our exit, if we are in a lot of pain.

“Palliative care can work to a degree but when it gets to a point where you are suffering every day - I have seen people leave the world in a lot of pain. I would like to be able to have the choice. Who has got the right to say that I don’t have that choice?”

A woman said: “I am for the bill. 10 years ago, my uncle was in a hospice. He deteriorated and we went down to be with him. For 48 hours, he sat in agony, squealing in pain.

“Nobody should have to go through that. He could have had a choice before that. 10 years on, my cousin is still struggling now and has nightmares of his dad squealing.

“If it’s in a controlled environment and it’s done properly, I have no issue. It needs to come in.

“I am a massive dog lover and I have never let my dog go through agony. No human should have to, either.”

MPs will hold their first debate on the assisted dying bill on November 29. They will be given a free vote on the bill, meaning they can vote according to individual conscience.