The architect of a parliamentary bill to legalize assisted dying invited the Archbishop of Canterbury to meet her after he called a change in the law dangerous.
Kim Leadbeater's letter follows Justin Welby's intervention in the assisted dying debate, in which he said the MP's bill would lead to a “slippery slope”, including widening criteria and putting pressure on people. so that they die prematurely.
The Terminally Ill Adults (Last of Life) Bill was formally introduced in the House of Commons on Wednesday and will be debated on November 29. MPs will have the right to vote freely on this emotionally charged issue, meaning they will be able to vote according to their conscience.
Welby's intervention is a sign of a potentially contentious national debate about end-of-life care in the coming weeks and months. In his letter, Leadbeater highlighted the need to avoid “discord and division” in the debate over assisted dying.
In response to Welby's comments, he wrote: “We both value life unequivocally and I think it is entirely possible to share that basic position while still maintaining different views on whether the law should change to give the dying more autonomy and choice.” about how to end their lives when that end is already very close.”
The archbishop's concerns about a slippery slope were unfounded, he wrote: “If my bill is passed, parliament will have drawn a very clear and established line that should not be crossed. “We have ample evidence from abroad that this can be done.”
In response to Welby's claim that the medical profession was opposed to assisted dying, Leadbeater said he had recently met representatives of the British Medical Association “who made it clear that they no longer oppose a change in the law after that a survey among doctors prompted them to adopt a position of neutrality.”
She wrote: “My proposed legislation is less about ending life, but rather about alleviating suffering and shortening death. The established order simply does not offer meaningful protection to the dying and their loved ones. “My bill will introduce clarity, oversight, monitoring and regulation of practices that are already occurring in the shadows.”
Leadbeater noted that there was “diversity of thought within the Church of England, as well as among people of other faiths.” He said he had spoken to many Christians who “feel that the law as it stands may compromise a dying person's ability to come to the end of a full and rich life with the same values they have lived by, including love and compassion.” ”.
He said he was sorry to hear of the circumstances of Welby's mother's death last year at the age of 93. He told the BBC his mother had described feeling like a burden. He also paid tribute to Welby's “ethical leadership” following the murder of his sister, MP Jo Cox, and said it had been a great comfort to his family.
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She wrote: “I do not claim that this is a simple issue, nor that it is possible to achieve a complete consensus on an issue that understandably arouses such strong feelings. But I also do not accept that such an important decision about how to reduce suffering at the end of life sows discord and division. “I don't want this debate to be conducted in a way that creates wounds that we might have difficulty healing in the future, and I'm sure you agree.”
Lambeth Palace has been contacted for comment.