Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Debate between Baroness Gerada and Baroness Mattinson

Committee stage
Friday 24th April 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Mattinson (Lab)]

I am speaking very briefly so, if the noble Baroness does not mind, I will continue. Many of those stories have been told very movingly here today.

The point is that 52% of us have cared for or witnessed a family member who was terminally ill and suffering at the end of their life. Unsurprisingly, experience of this rises with age, up to 66% in the 50 to 64 year-old age group, and higher as you get beyond that. Research—for example, England’s first ever citizens’ jury, so more qualitative and deliberative research—tells us that support for law change grows the more that people understand the issue and hear about it.

Meanwhile, the backdrop to this debate is that trust in our democracy has never been lower. Too often, the public do not feel listened to. Confidence in this unelected Chamber is at its lowest ever: a desultory one in five has confidence in the House of Lords to do its job. At the end of last year, YouGov found that just 2% had a lot of confidence in the House of Lords and only 17% had some confidence. Some noble Lords have quoted a poll that suggests that the public would like to see us doing better scrutiny. Yes, in abstract, they absolutely would, but, with reference to this particular Bill, a YouGov poll recently found that 58% disagreed with the way the Lords has dismissed the Bill while only 17% found it acceptable. Again, public opposition rises, as you would expect, with greater experience by age, consistent with the lived experience of the impact and pain of the alternative.

As this debate draws to its close, we should all be aware that the way the Bill has been treated by this Chamber risks having profound implications for the Chamber itself and its reputation, as well as the absolute tragedy of ignoring the passionately held public view for assisted dying.

[Baroness Gerada (CB)]

My Lords—