Purdy to hear first right-to-die Commons debate since 1970

Ms Purdy will travel from her home in Bradford to London to ensure she is in the Commons public gallery as the House holds its first full debate on assisted dying since 1970 this afternoon.

The 49-year-old campaigner, who suffers from the terminal illness multiple sclerosis, won a landmark legal victory in the House of Lords in 2009 to force Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer to publish guidelines explaining how it is decided whether to prosecute someone who helps a suffering friend, partner or relative to commit suicide.

Today’s debate will see backbench Conservative MP Richard Ottoway put forward a motion calling on the Commons to give its formal backing to those guidelines for the first time.

Ms Purdy, who is now confined to a wheelchair, told the Yorkshire Post that the “certainty” the new guidelines have given both her and her husband, the Cuban jazz musician Omar Puente, over the legal situation they will face when she finally decides to end her life, have already extended her life by several years.

“I never thought we would win in the House of Lords,” she said. “I was already part way through organising to go to Dignitas (the Swiss clinic where foreign people can end their lives) – I would have been dead in November 2009.

“Without that certainty of knowing Omar would not be prosecuted for helping me, I would have had to make the trip while I could still do everything for myself.”

Today’s debate will last for several hours and will be the first time MPs have held a full debate on the issue for more than 40 years.

“I am so pleased this is going ahead,” Ms Purdy said. “These guidelines were so well written and thought through, and they have been welcomed by all sides.

“It’s quite frightening to think that Keir Starmer could leave his post and someone else might come in and re-write them. It’s so important the House of Commons makes clear its support.”

Mr Ottoway, the MP for Croydon South, was full of praise for the “strength, guts and willpower” Ms Purdy showed in taking her fight to the highest court in the land, describing her eventual victory as a “significant step”.

Now he wants MPs to show support for the “fair and compassionate” guidelines, which list mitigating factors under which a friend or family member will not be prosecuted for assisting suicide.

“Parliament should have the last word on these things,” Mr Ottoway said. “I think if Parliament endorses them it takes away much of the controversy.”

The MP said he is keeping “an open mind” about whether the UK now needs a completely new law legitimising assisted dying, as Ms Purdy is calling for, but praised the “courage” of politicians in Switzerland, Holland and the US state of Oregon where assisted dying has already been legalised.

“For now I want to keep the focus on these guidelines,” he said.

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of campaign group Dignity in Dying, said she was confident the motion would be passed today.

““Whatever their views on assisted dying, I do not imagine MPs will be able to, in good conscience, vote against the motion and effectively say to those people watching the debate that they should be in prison for making one of the most heart-breaking decisions of their lives,” she said.