Bracknell residents came together last week for a ‘powerful and moving’ conversation on whether to give terminally ill people the right to end their life.

Around 100 people attended a public consultation on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill for England and Wales, informally known as the Assisted Dying Bill, on Friday November 22 with MP for Bracknell Peter Swallow.

The bill, introduced by backbench MP Kim Leadbeater, is set to go to a second reading and vote in the House of Commons this Friday (November 29).

It would give terminally ill people with six months to live the option to end their lives, with permission from two doctors and a high court judge.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has given Labour MPs a free vote on the issue, meaning they can vote freely with their conscience.

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Labour MP for Bracknell Peter Swallow said he was ‘not yet decided’ and would use the public consultation as an opportunity to inform his decision.

Speaking to attendees last Friday, Mr Swallow said: “The reason why this topic has generated so much debate in society is because it’s something fundamental with human experience, something we all have direct family experience with – and that is death.

“The reality is that we all die, and our loved ones sadly pass away. In many cases the end when it comes is not always easy and that’s what this bill is about fundamentally.”

Mr Swallow spoke of his mother, who was diagnosed with lung cancer when he was 15 years old.

He told the audience: “She ended her life in a local hospice where she got fantastic end of life care and was really very lucky that for her when the end came it was relatively quick and with relatively little pain.

“She had I think what we all would wish for…a good death.”

Each member of the audience was given two minutes to stand and speak, sharing their opinion, lived experience and concerns surrounding the bill.

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Many spoke about loved ones that they had lost due to terminal illnesses, some of whom expressed a wish to end their suffering due to a poor quality of life.

One man, who had recovered from a cancer diagnosis said: “Fortunately with the NHS I’ve survived that, but I know it will come back, and the point it comes back I want to be in a position when it’s appropriate for me to say enough’s enough.”

A resident said he had two family members who had passed away from cancer. He said while one would have wanted the right to choose to die, the other would have not – emphasising that the essence of the bill was to give the right to choose.

But a large number of audience members also raised concerns which touched on a wide range of points.

One said: “I find myself trying to put myself in the position of the doctor who is being asked to ‘do the deed’. Is that too big of a demand on a member of the medical profession?”

Others cited their Christian faith in their opposition to the bill, while some raised concerns over the impact it could have on vulnerable members of society.

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A woman said she worried that the bill would impose a ‘duty to leave the world’ on people who were terminally ill and who felt guilty that they were a burden on their family members and carers.

Some also said they worried the bill would be the beginning of a ‘slippery slope’, in that the rules and safeguards surrounding its current format could be changed in the future.

Others argued that the focus should be on improving the palliative care system across the country.

Peter Swallow MP thanked all constituents for sharing their experiences and opinions in what was a ‘powerful and moving conversation’.

He emphasised that at the ‘second reading’ stage in the House of Commons, it is not a final decision, but rather whether to ‘expand the debate further’.

If passed on Friday, it will be scrutinised by a committee, which can recommend amendments, before going to a third debate and vote.

It will then go through the same process in the House of Lords before becoming legislation.

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Mr Swallow said many MPs may vote for the bill at the second reading without indicating they would support it later.

It is not clear whether the vote will pass, as many MPs have been left undecided. Some senior Labour MPs, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson have indicated they will vote against the bill.

But others have come out in support of the bill, with two thirds of the public in support, according to polls.

Following the consultation, the MP said that he could not confirm which way he was going to vote, but that he would use ‘every contribution’ to inform his decision