Letter: This dangerous and extreme change to our laws would put the vulnerable at risk and see the ending of many lives

The passing of Kim Leadbeatter's assisted suicide bill yesterday is just the first stage of a long journey through the House of Commons and then the Lords. We are now going to redouble our efforts to fight this bill at every stage and ensure that it is defeated to protect the most vulnerable.

A very large number of MPs spoke out against this extreme proposal in Parliament yesterday. They made it clear that this dangerous and extreme change to our laws would put the vulnerable at risk and see the ending of many lives through assisted suicide. Serious concerns remain about how this legislation would operate in practice, and the strong response from MPs across all parties shows these issues won’t simply disappear.

The government must now provide a detailed impact assessment, outlining how this bill would affect the NHS and our judicial system. MPs deserve full clarity on its real-world consequences before they are asked to vote again.

This bill can and must be defeated in Parliament. It still has a long way to go and presents an acute threat to vulnerable people, especially in the context of an overstretched healthcare system. Even members of the prime minister’s own cabinet recognise this problem and that, within this environment, certain people will be particularly vulnerable to coercion.

Catherine Robinson, Right To Life UK