The rejection by the London Parliament (11 Sept.2015) of another assisted dying bill by a vote of 330-118 is, by my count, the twelfth time this body has considered a choice in dying reform law. The first attempt was back in l936. All have been firmly voted down.
That seven other states or nations have passed such laws in the last 20 years – and they appear to be working satisfactorily – makes the English rejections more puzzling. Does the church in England still have that sort of blocking influence, or are the English more squeamish about the facts of dying?
