On Friday, after weeks of intense and emotional debate, MPs began their formal review of a assisted dying bill that would allow terminally ill adults, expected to die within six months, to seek assistance in ending their lives.
It was a day marked by tears, hope, relief, and fear. Here’s how the events unfolded inside and outside Parliament, leading to a historic victory for Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and her proposed legislation.
Supporters of Leadbeater’s bill assembled on the west side of Parliament Square, near the statue of activist Millicent Fawcett. The group, organized by Dignity in Dying, was a wave of pink hats and jumpers.
Amanda, who traveled from Brighton, spoke about her experience caring for people in their final stages of life, including a friend with cancer. She recalls her friend begging her, “Kill me now, kill me now,” describing it as a harrowing plea to hear from someone she loved.
Sue, another campaigner donning a pink hat, expressed optimism. “I think this could be a momentous day,” she said.
Meanwhile, just a short walk away on College Green, opponents of the bill were also gathering. Their demonstration featured a 10-foot-tall puppet of a stern judge holding a giant syringe and pointing an accusatory finger skyward. The crowd chanted, “Kill the bill, not the ill.”
Hannah stood further back, observing while vaping a lemon meringue pie-flavored e-cigarette. She worried about the potential impact on perceptions of disabled people and reflected on her father’s story.
“He was given six months but lived for four years,” she said. “Those years allowed him to meet his grandchildren.”
