Badgardener on Nostr: Access to assisted dying should be a fundamental right, and whilst I absolutely agree ...

Access to assisted dying should be a fundamental right, and whilst I absolutely agree that this government would sell everybody down the river for ten more seconds of power (and will have to, to survive), we should not be trying to prevent that right from being recognised in law because of very longstanding deficiencies in end of life care.

We need to see assisted dying as a done deal, and both sides of the political centre then turn the spotlight on properly funding both long-term and end of life palliative care, in particular ensuring that money saved when people choose to end their lives on their own terms is retained within the system, not used to further reduce new funding.

The cynic in me considers that governments of all stripes see dying and disabled people as economic non-contributors and non-voters, so are less inclined to accommodate their needs. That shortfall is being used to argue against a right to die with dignity, which further denies their choices in an already-rigged game.