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Poll shows nearly two-thirds support assisted dying

The poll, conducted by Deltapoll, highlights strong public support for giving terminally ill adults the right to end their own lives through assisted dying.

Kim Leadbeater, (C), the Labour MP behind the proposed bill, joins campaigners in Parliament Square on October 16, 2024 in London. (Photo: Getty Images)
Kim Leadbeater, (C), the Labour MP behind the proposed bill, joins campaigners in Parliament Square on October 16, 2024 in London. (Photo: Getty Images)

A NEW poll has revealed that nearly two-thirds of voters in the UK support legalising assisted dying, with 65 per cent of respondents backing the measure.

The findings come as MPs prepare to debate the issue, with growing calls for legislative changes.


The poll, conducted by Deltapoll, highlights strong public support for giving terminally ill adults the right to end their own lives through assisted dying.

Among those surveyed, support was consistent across different age groups and political affiliations, indicating broad agreement on the issue, reported The Times.

The survey also found that only 14 per cent of respondents opposed assisted dying, while 21 per cent were unsure.

Support was notably high among Liberal Democrat and Labour voters, with backing at 70 per cent and 68 per cent, respectively.

Conservative voters showed a slightly lower, yet still significant, 63 per cent approval rate, the newspaper reported.

Proponents argue that current laws, which prohibit assisted dying, force terminally ill patients to endure prolonged suffering or travel abroad for the procedure, often at great expense and emotional strain.

Critics, however, warn of potential risks, including coercion and the undermining of palliative care efforts.

The debate over assisted dying has gained momentum following several high-profile cases, including individuals who travelled to Switzerland to access the service.

Advocacy groups like Dignity in Dying continue to campaign for legislative changes, citing public opinion as a key driver for reform, reported The Times.

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Singh Pamma is a figure in the Khalistan movement, a campaign for an independent Sikh state that is outlawed in India.

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UK police warn Sikh activist over Hindu nationalist threats

Highlights

  • High-profile Sikh activist receives police security advice following intelligence of threats, which he links to Indian government.
  • MI5 investigations into state threats have grown 48 per cent since 2022, with India listed alongside China and Russia as country of concern.
  • Two UK-based Sikh nationalists tell Guardian they have been advised to increase security following incidents at their homes.

Police have advised a prominent Sikh activist in the UK to install security cameras at his home and reinforce door locks because of threats from Hindu nationalist elements, raising fresh concerns about transnational repression on British soil.

Paramjeet Singh Pamma, 52, said he had been visited by police and received verbal advice to increase his security due to intelligence suggesting threats to his safety. The activist accused UK ministers of failing to take "relentless" transnational repression by India seriously.

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