Tim Farron: Assisted dying makes the vulnerable even more so

Changing the law will make those at risk of abuse much more vulnerable, says Tim Farron, as well as putting pressure on the elderly and infirm to ‘do the decent thing’ and choose death

This Friday, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - otherwise known as the assisted dying bill - will be debated by the House of Commons. 

MPs will have a free vote and the government is officially neutral, but the Cabinet is divided. Notably Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary who would be in charge of implementing it, is publicly arguing against the bill.

Passionate debate is filling our newspapers, social media feeds and MPs’ inboxes, and not all of it is polite. I have strong views on this bill, but I recognise that both sides are primarily motivated by compassion and a desire for dignity at the end of life. This is such an important debate that we must not allow it to become angry and tribal.