Landslide assisted dying vote puts Isle of Man on track to change law

The Isle of Man is on track to become the first place in the British Isles to legalise assisted dying after a landslide victory for campaigners on Tuesday.

A Bill seeking to change the law passed its Third Reading after Members of the House of Keys - Tynwald’s lower house - voted 16 to eight in favour.

Emotions ran high during the sometimes heated debate, which saw MHKs speak passionately both for and against the change.

Dr Alex Allinson, the member who proposed the Bill, said: “We have taken another step forward for real change in the Isle of Man to give terminally ill people much-needed choice and protection at the end of life.

“This is the result of many years of campaigning from local people and I send them my heartfelt thanks today.

READ MORE: Assisted dying vote on Isle of Man marks 'truly historic day'

“My colleagues in the House of Keys have examined the evidence, listened to the views of the people of the Isle of Man and recognised that these laws work safely and compassionately in other jurisdictions across the world.”

The Bill seeks to introduce assisted dying for terminally ill adults with a prognosis of less than one year.

It will now progress to the Legislative Council, the island’s upper house. The Council cannot vote the Bill down, only amend and delay it by up to 12 months.

It should then receive Royal Assent as soon as next year and assisted dying could become available to terminally ill Manx residents from 2027.

Manx resident Millie Blenkinsop-French, 80, has supported efforts to legalise assisted dying for around 50 years.

Her son James suffered a “very painful, horrific” death from skin cancer in 2021.

Millie, who has had breast cancer herself, said: “I am absolutely delighted by this result. Manx citizens have long been calling for law change, and I want to thank MHKs for listening to our wishes.

“My son died an agonising death from skin cancer and he would have wanted the choice of assisted dying to end his suffering.

“If my cancer ever returns I would like the choice too, to avoid the pain that he endured.

“It brings me a lot of comfort to know that this option could soon be available to people like my son.”

The Daily Express Give Us Our Last Rights crusade campaigns for a similar law change across the UK.

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, hailed the vote as “a historic victory for compassion and common sense”.

She added: “MHKs should be congratulated for listening to the views of Manx citizens who have long been calling for change.

“We are here today thanks to the hard work of Dr Allinson and colleagues, plus the tireless campaigning of people like Sue Biggerstaff and Millie Blenkinsop-French.

“They have shared their own painful experiences of the current law, so that no more dying people should have to suffer as their loved ones did.”

Ms Wootton said jurisdictions across the British Isles could follow in the footsteps of places like Australia and New Zealand which have already legalised assisted dying.

She added: “We have the advantage of learning from assisted dying laws overseas to advance a safe, workable UK-model for law change based on evidence and grounded in compassion.

“With Bills also progressing in Scotland and Jersey and now a Private Member’s Bill in the House of Lords, assisted dying is a movement whose time has come.”

Nathan Stilwell, of Humanists UK, said it was “clear that opponents to assisted dying have lost the debate”.

He added: “Tactics have now descended into delaying, confusing and attempting to restrict access to assisted dying.

“The progress of this Bill is a crucial step towards more compassionate and dignified end-of-life options for Manx people.”

Lord Falconer’s Private Members’ Bill is due to have its First Reading in the House of Lords on Friday.