Former Labour frontbencher Paul Blomfield to lead assisted dying campaign, as movement reaches tipping point across British Isles
Dignity in Dying pays tribute to outgoing Chair, leading rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain
A highly respected former Parliamentarian whose family has suffered under the ban on assisted dying has been appointed Chair of the leading campaign for law change in the British Isles, Dignity in Dying announces today (Thursday 11 July 2024).
Paul Blomfield, who served as a Labour MP for the Sheffield Central constituency for 14 years before standing down at the General Election, has spoken movingly about the tragic death of his 87-year-old father, who took his own life after a diagnosis of terminal lung cancer in 2011. Mr Blomfield has campaigned within Parliament ever since to reform laws that force dying people to suffer against their wishes, take matters into their own hands or travel abroad to die at exorbitant cost.
Mr Blomfield will now lead Dignity in Dying as the movement for true choice at the end of life reaches a tipping point, with debate firmly on the political agenda in Westminster and proposals progressing in Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man.
The organisation pays tribute to outgoing Chair Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, who will continue to lead the Religious Alliance for Dignity in Dying, a coalition of faith leaders and laypeople representing more than 17 denominations. Baroness Meacher, a crossbench peer who tabled a private member’s bill on assisted dying in the House of Lords in 2021, remains Honorary President of Dignity in Dying.
Mr Blomfield’s appointment comes hot on the heels of the General Election, which saw personal pledges or manifesto commitments on assisted dying from all major Westminster parties. In March Sir Keir Starmer promised Dame Esther Rantzen – a vocal advocate for law change following her diagnosis of stage four lung cancer – that he would ensure parliamentary time for debate, and reaffirmed his longstanding personal support for legalisation.
During the election period, parliamentary candidates across the country received over 66,400 emails from members of the public declaring ‘Dignity Has My Vote’ and asking how would-be MPs would vote on a future assisted dying bill. The issue was also raised in more than 20 election hustings across the country, with strong support from across the political spectrum.
Mr Blomfield served as a member of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee, which reported on a 14-month cross-party inquiry into assisted dying in February this year. The inquiry confirmed that assisted dying laws work safely in many countries around the world, with legislation allowing the choice for terminally ill people remaining limited over time. It found the UK’s current laws to be unclear, palliative care to be insufficient to relieve all suffering, and called on the Government to engage in the debate with legalisation increasingly likely around the British Isles.
Mr Blomfield also led various cross-party groups and was named Citizens Advice Parliamentarian of the Year in 2014 for his work to regulate payday lending. He was a Shadow Brexit Minister, working alongside Sir Keir Starmer, from 2016 to 2020. Before entering Parliament he worked at the University of Sheffield, served as a member and chair of several charity boards, and was a leading anti-apartheid campaigner over three decades.
Mr Blomfield said:
“We are on the brink of introducing safe, compassionate assisted dying for those with terminal illness in the UK. The mood in Westminster has shifted dramatically, at last catching up with public opinion, and the parliaments of Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man are already taking great strides towards reform. The election has brought a new wave of MPs who are hearing that their constituents are calling out for law change. We now have a Prime Minister who is personally supportive of assisted dying and committed to providing Parliament with the opportunity for a free vote on law change. Our movement draws support across parties and unites the public like virtually no other.
“To have the opportunity to lead this campaign at such a critical stage is a privilege, and I pay tribute to Dignity in Dying and its outgoing Chair, Rabbi Romain for their tireless dedication to advancing the rights of dying people. Thanks in large part to their efforts, assisted dying is firmly on the political agenda. I look forward to working with colleagues both inside and outside Parliament to ensure it soon becomes a reality.”
Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain said:
“My heartfelt belief that there is no sanctity in suffering, particularly as we die, has driven my commitment to this campaign over many years. I am delighted to continue this work as Chair of the Religious Alliance for Dignity in Dying; like many others, I support true choice at the end of life because of my beliefs, not in spite of them. A notion of theology that obstructs personal choice and forces people to suffer against their wishes is not faith as I know it. Just as care and compassion are the core tenets of so many religions, these principles underpin the fight for the rights of dying people and I will continue to champion them.”
Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying, said:
“Assisted dying is a movement whose time has come for the UK. The response from parties, leaders and candidates in the lead-up to the General Election has been the clearest indication yet that this country is ready to re-examine the laws and culture governing how we die. Indeed, parts of the British Isles have already begun to do so and much-needed reform is now on the horizon.
“The new Westminster parliament must grasp with both hands the opportunity to introduce a safer, kinder, better law on assisted dying; one that is increasingly the hallmark of progressive, compassionate societies around the world. Like so many rights and freedoms we now hold dear – reproductive choice, the right to love and marry who we wish – once the right to die on one’s own terms is enshrined in law, we will only wonder what took us so long. A full, fair debate on assisted dying and a free vote must be secured as soon as possible. Dying people simply do not have time to wait.”
