Three quarters of Britons still think assisted dying should be legal in principle, with 72% supporting Kim Leadbeater’s proposals
Tomorrow, MPs will cast their final vote on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Its progress through parliament has been marked by considered, detailed and, occasionally, emotional debate, but the campaigns on both sides appear to have been unable to move public opinion.
YouGov polling last month (15-16 May) found that three quarters of Britons (75%) believe that assisted dying should in principle be legal in some form in the UK, while one in seven (14%) feel it should not be legal in principle. This is basically identical to opinion last November ahead of the Bill’s second reading in the Commons, when the public felt it should be legal by a margin of 73% to 13%.https://ygo-assets-websites-editorial-emea.yougov.net/documents/Internal_AssistedDying_250516_w_XFxdjpy.pdf
Nearly six in ten Britons (57%) say they support assisted dying in both principle and in practice, while one in five (20%) say they back it in principle but are sceptical that adequate laws can be created to regulate it. A further 8% oppose it in principle but are willing to support it for those who want it, while 7% oppose it in both principle and practice. Again, these numbers are all virtually unchanged from last November.
Kim Leadbeater’s bill has clearly ameliorated the concerns of some sceptical about assisted dying in practice. More than seven in ten Britons (73%) support the bill as is stands, including 59% of those who say they support assisted dying in principle but oppose it in practice and 67% who are opposed to the principle of euthanasia but are willing to back it in practice.
One in six Britons (16%) oppose the assisted dying bill as it stands, up marginally from 13% last autumn.
The bill as it stands has support across the political spectrum, with 80% of Labour voters, 72% of Lib Dems, 71% of Conservatives and 64% of Reform UK voters in favour.
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Photo: Getty
