B

Baroness Smith of Newnham (LD)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 24 April 2026

Debate

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Contribution

My Lords, like the noble Lord, Lord Markham, I am one of the members of your Lordships’ Select Committee. We came to the Bill from different perspectives. As noble Lords know, I am not in favour of the principle of assisted dying. However, my view has always been that the role of your Lordships’ House is clear: it is to scrutinise and amend legislation. I have at no point sought to delay the legislation, because it is crucial that we send a message to the other House. If my views had prevailed, my preference would have been to say that we do not want this legislation at all, but that does not appear to be the will of your Lordships’ House, and the view of the country seems to be a general preference for legislation on assisted dying. As I said at Second Reading, we as legislators are not legislating for ourselves or our own preferences; we must be legislating for the most vulnerable in society.

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