Pro-lifers Criticise Labour’s Pledge as "Hypocritical" after Pro-Euthanasia Move

Following the recent row against the Mental Capacity Bill in Britain among pro-lifers and medical professions, the Labour Party headed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair has pledged that more palliative care would be offered to terminally ill patients.

Blair spoke at Labour's manifesto presentation on Wednesday, however, the pro-life groups in the UK have criticised that the proposal is "hypocritical" as the Labour Party has showed a pro-euthanasia stance over the passing of the Mental Capacity Bill just 10 days ago.

On 5th April, the controversial Mental Capacity Bill was passed by the British Parliament. It allows an individual to be nominated to make decisions on behalf of a mentally incapacitated patient. Many pro-lifers worry that it will legalise Euthanasia by neglect.

Most of the people in favour of the Bill say that the legislation respects the human right to make a choice for their own life. Pro-lifers, however argue that palliative care should be provided to allow patients to die with dignity instead of offering them choice.

The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Rev Christopher Herbert, who was a member of the House of the Lords committee that passed the Bill, stated that "the solution to dying with dignity lies not with euthanasia but with palliative care."

The Labour party manifesto on Wednesday unveiled a commitment to "increase choices for patients with cancer" by doubling the investment going into palliative care services, "giving more people the choice to be treated at home."

As the Labour party, in one of its final Parliamentary acts before the general election, pushed through a pro-euthanasia legislation, SPUC General Secretary Paul Tully said, "The new law, the Mental Capacity Act, will sanction the deaths of thousands of patients by withholding assisted nutrition and hydration (ANH). These patients will die of thirst - which takes about two weeks. In this context, promising extra cash for palliative care smacks of conscience money. It is profoundly hypocritical to appeal to some (possibly) terminally ill patients in this fashion."

Paul Bickley, Westminster Parliamentary Officer for CARE has reacted more positively to the Labour party manifesto, saying that they welcomed any commitment to invest more in palliative care services.

"It is one of the most undervalued and under-resourced part of the health care system and offers people the opportunity for a genuinely dignified and good death without recourse to the unacceptable practice of euthanasia," he said.

Currently, Campaign Against Euthanasia, a coalition of pro-life groups in the UK, is formed to oppose euthanasia by omission (e.g. by removing food and fluids from patients who are not dying) as well as euthanasia by commission (e.g. by lethal injection). SPUC is one of the members.