Newbury MP Laura Farris calls for assisted dying inquiry

She agrees to talk to Government after meeting local campaigners

NEWBURY MP Laura Farris has said she is not in favour of assisted dying – but is calling on the Government for an inquiry after meeting local people campaigning for a change in the law.

Members of the West Berkshire Dignity In Dying group met with Mrs Farris (pictured) to make their case on Friday, February 21.

Her predecessor as MP, Richard Benyon, had been staunchly opposed to changing the law.

But 12 months ago, after hearing emotional testimony from group members, he said he had “taken a step towards” their position.

Mr Benyon had listened intently as Sara Fenton from Hungerford, among others, recounted how she had accompanied husband Keith to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland with their children Edward and Charlotte “so that he could have the peaceful and dignified death he deserved and was desperate for”.

Mr Fenton was dying from Huntington’s disease.

Mr Benyon said then: “I’m now on journey on this one.

“There are those for whom it will always be wrong, but, for the majority of us there must be a way forward.”

He said the Dignity in Dying campaign “seems to offer a way forward because it would provide safeguards and securities, ring-fenced”.

Mrs Farris likewise heard from Mrs Fenton and from local campaign member Sarah Murphy, who has the rare disease scleroderma.

Mrs Murphy said afterwards: “I’m now too ill to travel to Dignitas, in Switzerland.

“The only option available to me is to commit suicide, possibly with the illegal assistance of my loving and distraught husband, for which he might risk prosecution.

“In a civilised society, surely this cannot be right.”

Mrs Fenton said: “An assisted dying law in this country would only be for terminally ill, mentally competent adults.

“It would not mean more deaths; it would only mean those who are already terminally ill would have some control over how their life should end.

“The current law is stealing years of people’s lives.

“It forces those that want a choice over their death to travel abroad before they need to, for fear of missing their chance by becoming too ill to travel.

“For some families, travelling to Switzerland is simply too expensive, forcing them to remain in the UK to face a prolonged death.

“People who are terminally ill should have the option of passing away peacefully at home, with their loved ones around them.”

Following the meeting, Mrs Farris said in a statement: “I have listened to the heartfelt arguments made by local campaigners and carefully reflected upon the points they put forward.

“I am not in favour of assisted dying, but this issue clearly means a great deal to some of my constituents.

“However, I would be interested to see the result of an inquiry into this matter, and so I will be writing to Robert Buckland, the Justice Secretary, to ask for an inquiry into the effects of the current law.”

Campaign group member Richard Shopland said: “We’re very pleased that she feels inclined to write to Robert Buckland calling for an inquiry.

“How we die should be a personal choice.

“No one should suffer needlessly.”