Falconer criticises Shabana Mahmood over opposition to assisted dying bill

Mahmood, Britain’s most senior Muslim politician, had expressed concerns about a “slippery slope towards death on demand.”

• EasternEye
• 25 November, 2024

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By: EasternEye

CABINET ministers should not impose their religious beliefs on others in their stance on assisted dying, Labour’s Charlie Falconer has said. His comments follow remarks by justice secretary Shabana Mahmood opposing a bill to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill people in England and Wales.

Speaking to Sky News, Falconer said Mahmood’s objections stem from “religious and spiritual reasons,” adding, “I think she’s motivated – and I respect this – by her religious beliefs. They shouldn’t be imposed on everybody else.”

Mahmood, Britain’s most senior Muslim politician, had expressed concerns about a “slippery slope towards death on demand.” In a letter to her constituents, she stated, “The state should never offer death as a service,” and voiced her “profound concern” over the legislation.

Falconer dismissed Mahmood’s arguments as “completely wrong,” arguing that evidence from other countries shows such laws do not lead to broader expansions. “If you look all the way around the world wherever a terminally ill assisted dying bill has been introduced … it doesn’t expand to anything else,” he said.

Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP who introduced the bill, acknowledged the role of religion in the debate, noting varying views within faith communities. She cited figures such as former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey and Rabbi Jonathan Romain, who support assisted dying. Leadbeater said, “We have got people now who the law is failing … By creating a legal framework, we will improve the situation.”

Polling by More in Common found Mahmood’s constituency, Birmingham Ladywood, among the few where most voters oppose assisted dying, with such constituencies having higher-than-average proportions of religious residents.

Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, supports the bill, emphasising the importance of giving people control over their end-of-life decisions. Speaking on BBC Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Kendall said, “I believe the bill has the right safeguards … It is really important as a society we talk about what makes for a good death.”

The bill will be debated and voted on in parliament this week.