Theresa May said the assisted dying bill is a ‘license to kill’

Earlier this month, the assisted dying bill was debated in the House of Lords for the first time since the ideas were first proposed in the 1930’s. Speaking during the sessions, former Prime Minister, Theresa May, echoing the words of a friend, described the bill as a “license to kill.” May’s speech highlighted the view that if assisted dying is made legal, it risked supporting the notion that some lives are less worth living than others.

As the debates ramp up, I find the situation particularly worrying in an age where cost cutting is openly prioritised above people’s welfare.

As the debates ramp up, I find the situation particularly worrying in an age where cost cutting is openly prioritised above people’s welfare. The cost saving agenda was certainly echoed in the words of former Conservative Home Secretary, Kenneth Baker, who, during his comments, described the reliance on palliative care as ‘totally unrealistic” because “it’ll cost billions.” It is not inconceivable that the authorities themselves could become a coercive force, influencing people into assisted dying in order to save spending on palliative care as well as on survivors who may still need support to maintain quality of life after certain treatments.

At a certain level, these discussions can end up sounding merely theoretical. But all the debates aside, watching Christian Concern’s short film, “What Killed Aliyah?”, gave me a chilling glimpse into the life of a typical family that could be impacted by the legislation.

READ MORE: My thoughts on the assisted dying bill and the sovereignty of God

Seeing the real people behind what could otherwise be statistics ought to create pause in law makers as they wield their power to the detriment of society’s vulnerable. And there is ample evidence to demonstrate that assisted dying services are targeted at the most vulnerable. For instance, in the Nuffield Trust’s 2025 report, “Assisted dying in practice”, it is stated that in countries where assisted dying is legal, “People who access assisted dying services tend to be older: the median average age in each jurisdiction studied ranged between 69 and 80 years old. Cancer was the most common diagnosis, with between 55% and 80% having a reported diagnosis.”

People in such circumstances are usually not in the best frame of mind to make such life altering decisions.

READ MORE: Open letter to all MPs ahead of the Assisted Dying Bill Debate

The problem of people making serious decisions when they are at their most vulnerable was highlighted in an open letter to MPs in 2024, in which the implications of legalising the bill were discussed in relation to people with eating disorders. The letter stated, “It is not uncommon for someone in the depths of an eating disorder to say they want to die…Choices made in moments of despair may not reflect a person’s long-term desires.” The letter stated that more than 60 individuals with eating disorders have died in countries where assisted dying is legal.

the debates should not merely be about the choice to die. Rather, the choice to live needs to be just as important a consideration.

As writer, Ann-Louise Graham, pointed out in an article in Woman Alive (October 2024), the debates should not merely be about the choice to die. Rather, the choice to live needs to be just as important a consideration.

If Jesus were still on earth in person, I believe that he would be on the side of offering people a choice to live. At no point in his earthly ministry do we read of him meeting people in need of healing or of resurrection and asking, “Would you like to die?” Or asking relatives, “Would you like your loved one to remain in the grave?” Nor did the crowds flock to him to ask him to euthanise their sick ones. And in one of the most touching and emotional miracles in the Bible, Martha tells Jesus, regarding her brother, Lazarus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21). Jesus’ stance on life is certainly not surprising since he is the author of life (Act 3:15).

READ MORE: As the Assisted Dying Bill moves to the committee stage, let’s celebrate life and protect it while we still have the chance, says Jennie Pollock

As the debates rage on, I wonder, will people look at our society in future, and the way we handled this issue of assisted dying, and marvel at our barbarity in much the same way as we marvel at the horrors of forced adoptions or the Victorian Poor Laws? In my view, it seems as if we are attempting to recreate a world based on ‘survival of the fittest’ at all costs. Is this what our era will be remembered for?