General Election

In the last Parliament, MPs voted against assisted dying. Let’s make sure the next Parliament supports it.

The snap General Election is not far away. In September 2015, MPs voted against Rob Marris’s Assisted Dying Bill. We need to make sure the people who will make up the next House of Commons know that their constituents want to see the law changed in the new Parliament.

How do I contact my candidates?

Given that the election is only weeks away, perhaps the best and most effective way to find out where your candidates stand is to attend a local hustings, this is where candidates standing for election answer questions from, and seek support from, local constituents. They are often held in local community centres, village or town halls so please keep an eye out, go along and ask your candidates their views.

You can also email your candidates (using the link below), write to local newspapers or ask candidates on the doorstep – when you’re being canvassed, why not canvass them?

 

What should I ask?

Assisted dying is a conscience issue. Most political parties do not take an official line on assisted dying and leave decisions to MPs to make based on their consciences.

Because of that, MPs need to know that they have supporters of assisted dying in their constituencies who will hold them to account if they do not support legislation on assisted dying in the next Parliament.

When asking candidates, you could:

  • Explain why you support assisted dying for terminally ill, mentally competent adults.
  • Ask if they support assisted dying or if they have any concerns about giving choice and control to dying people to choose the manner and timing of their own death.
  • If your candidates are opposed to changing the law, remind them that their constituents are unlikely to share their opinions. An ethical decision to seek an assisted death is an ethical decision for the dying patient to make, not a politician on their behalf.

Many of our supporters have written to or met and made contact with their MPs. We hope this advice is helpful to anyone who wants to talk to their candidates in the run up to the election.

How do I find out who my local prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) are?

Some of the parties have listed candidates on their websites:

Please note: local parties might not have selected a candidate in your area. Keep an eye out for announcements in local news.

For other parties, you should be able to find details of your candidates with a quick web search, simply by typing your constituency and “[party] candidate”.

If you have any questions on engaging with your PPCs, if you need any further briefings or would just like to tell us about your successful engagement, please don’t hesitate to email us or phone on 020 7479 7737.