Tag: Diane Abbott

  • Diane Abbott – 2024 Speech on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

    Diane Abbott – 2024 Speech on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

    The speech made by Diane Abbott, the Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, in the House of Commons on 29 November 2024.

    I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater) on bringing forward this Bill, which has been the occasion of a very important national conversation. I recall to the House the fact that, in 1969, Parliament voted to abolish the death penalty for murder. Public opinion was actually against that change, but MPs believed, on a point of principle, that the state should not be involved in taking a life. It was a good principle in 1969 and it remains a good principle today.

    I am not against legalising assisted dying in any circumstance, but I have many reservations about this Bill. In particular, I do not believe that the safeguards are sufficient. They are supposed to be the strongest in the world because of the involvement of a High Court judge, but the divisional courts have said that

    “the intervention of a court would simply interpose an expensive and time-consuming forensic procedure”.

    Sir James Munby, the former president of the family division of the High Court, said recently:

    “Only those who believe implicitly in judicial omniscience and infallibility—and I do not—can possibly have any confidence in the efficacy of what is proposed.”

    Is the judge supposed to second-guess doctors? Will the judge make a decision on the basis of paperwork? Or will there be a hearing in open court? Where will be the capacity in the criminal justice system to deal with all this? Far from being a genuine safeguard, the involvement of a judge could just be a rubber stamp.

    Catherine Atkinson (Derby North) (Lab)

    More than two thirds of care proceedings involving the most vulnerable children in our society cannot be completed within six months. Does my right hon. Friend agree that there is a real concern that the safeguard is not deliverable, or risks being the rubber stamp that I know my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater) does not want it to be?

    Ms Abbott

    I entirely agree with my hon. Friend.

    Robust safeguards for the sick and dying are vital to protect them from predatory relatives, to protect them from the state and, above all, to protect them from themselves. There will be those who say to themselves that they do not want to be a burden; I can imagine myself saying that in particular circumstances. Others will worry about assets they had hoped to leave for their grandchildren being eroded by the cost of care. There will even be a handful who will think they should not be taking up a hospital bed.

    Jake Richards (Rother Valley) (Lab)

    My right hon. Friend makes her case powerfully. Can I ask her to comment on the current situation whereby people ask themselves the question she just asked today? What safeguards are there for those people? What inquiry is made before those people pass away, often having taken the most drastic and horrific action to do so?

    Ms Abbott

    But if the House passes this legislation, the issue that I have raised will become foremost in people’s minds even more so.

    We are told that there is no evidence of coercion in jurisdictions where assisted suicide is possible, but people do not generally write letters to sick relatives urging them to consider assisted suicide and then put those letters on file. Coercion in the family context can be about not what you say but what you do not say—the long, meaningful pause.

    Shockat Adam (Leicester South) (Ind)

    As a medical professional who is surrounded by even more senior medical professionals, I know we can all miss things when there are tangibles in front of us: the shadows on X-rays and the markers on blood tests. As professionals, we miss things that can be seen. What security will we have that we can pick up things that we cannot see, like coercion?

    Ms Abbott

    That is the point: coercion is something that there will be no material evidence of and that we cannot see.

    People keep saying that the Bill cannot be amended, but of course any future Government could bring in new clauses. We can see what has happened in Canada, which introduced assisted dying in 2016 for adults with terminal illnesses. In 2021, it was extended to people with no terminal illness and the disabled. In March 2027, anyone with a serious mental health problem will also be eligible. The House should remember that no single organisation representing the disabled supports the Bill.

    Mary Kelly Foy

    My daughter Maria lived her life with severe disabilities and health conditions. Since her birth, we were told many times that she might have only six months to live. She lived for 27 years. Crucially, Maria was non-verbal. I am filled with dread and fear about what might happen to people like Maria who are non-verbal and do not have that capacity, if they are not loved and cared for and do not have somebody speaking out for them.

    Ms Abbott

    I have heard so many stories like that. The arbitrary cut-off of six months does not necessarily meet with the reality of sick people.

    Graham Stuart (Beverley and Holderness) (Con)

    The case of Maria, and others, should give us all pause. Does the right hon. Lady agree, with two thirds of the Cabinet apparently supporting this measure in principle, that we should reject the Bill today, but that we should as a House commit not to go another 10 years ignoring this topic, but to come forward in a considered way, ensure it is looked at properly, and do everything possible to have a system that is more robust, more caring and ensures good outcomes for people like Maria?

    Mr Speaker

    Order. Let me also say that we must try to keep to the time limits.

    Ms Abbott

    I agree with the right hon. Gentleman. As I said right at the beginning, I am not against assisting dying in any circumstances. If the Bill passes, we will have the NHS as a 100% funded suicide service, but palliative care will be funded only at 30% at best. The former Member for Dunfermline East, Gordon Brown, has said recently:

    “we need to show we can do better at assisted living before deciding whether to legislate on ways to die.”

    I represent very many vulnerable people in marginalised communities. I cannot vote for a Bill when I have doubts about whether they will be protected. We can come back, have a commission and craft a better Bill, but I will not be voting for the Bill today.

  • Diane Abbott – 2024 First Speech as Mother of the House

    Diane Abbott – 2024 First Speech as Mother of the House

    The speech made by Diane Abbott in the House of Commons on 9 July 2024.

    I congratulate the Speaker-Elect on his election. He has been Speaker through tumultuous times, but he has never failed to serve with grace, expertise and fairness. I also congratulate the 304 new Members entering Parliament after the election, and say to them: it is a great job, and you will never regret coming here. I congratulate the officers of the House, who have organised such a meticulous and careful induction. When I was a new MP, they just gave you a bunch of keys and told you to get on with it.

    When I was a new Member in 1987, there were only 40 female Members of Parliament. Today, we have 264. Some of us are glad that we have lived to see this. I cannot speak about the increased number of female Members of Parliament without referencing my predecessor, Baroness Harriet Harman, who did so much work to have an equal and diverse House.

    We are going into very tumultuous times. Historically, the House has played a role in events both national and international. I am sure that it will be the same going forward, and that we will be presided over excellently by the Speaker-Elect.

  • Diane Abbott – 2023 Statement of Apology

    Diane Abbott – 2023 Statement of Apology

    The statement made by Diane Abbott, the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, on Twitter on 23 April 2023.

    I am writing regarding my letter that was recently published in the Observer.

    I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociate myself from them.

    The errors arose in an initial draft being sent. But there is no excuse, and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused.

    Racism takes many forms, and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travellers and many others.

    Once again, I would like to apologise publicly for the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to assist people in poverty in southern Africa to mitigate the effects of the severe drought in that region.

    Justine Greening

    DFID is providing additional support to help mitigate the impact of El Niño-related drought in southern Africa. We are delivering humanitarian assistance to drought-affected communities, boosting disaster preparedness activities and improving the resilience of households to future climate shocks. Building resilience against climate shocks is a key component of all our climate-related work across Africa.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of the change in the OECD definition of foreign aid to include some military spending on the effectiveness of aid spend on reducing poverty.

    Justine Greening

    We welcome the outcome of the recent High Level Meeting of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC), which agreed how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) rules should be updated to better tackle the pressing global development issues of the 21st century. The updates to the ODA rules both better recognise the detrimental impact that conflict, fragility and insecurity have on efforts to tackle poverty and reflect the importance of private sector investment for development.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Prime Minister’s contribution of 9 September 2013, Official Report, column 700, what the evidential basis is for the statement that none of the UK’s overseas territories or Crown dependencies are tax havens.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Leader of the Opposition, the right hon. Member for Islington North (Mr Corbyn), on 13 April 2016, Official Report, column 344-345, and to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Moray (Mr Robertson) on the same day, Official Report, column 347.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the proportion of people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities who have received a diagnosis of (a) sickle cell disease and (b) thalassaemia in each (i) clinical commissioning group area, (ii) trust area and (iii) national sickle cell and thalassaemia centre area; and what proportion of people from such communities were so diagnosed in the most recent year for which figures are available.

    George Freeman

    The National Haemoglobinopathy Registry maintains a database of patients with red cell disorders (mainly sickle cell disease and thalassaemia major) living in the United Kingdom. Detailed information on the number of patients diagnosed with sickle cell disease and thalassaemia, in England, is available from the National Haemoglobinopathy Registry Report 2013/14. This includes a breakdown of patients on the basis ethnicity, commissioning hub and specialist treatment centre.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she plans to take to support the provision of real and sustainable employment to young refugees in states with high youth unemployment.

    Justine Greening

    Over the next five years, DFID will build on its economic development work to ensure productive employment opportunities for young people are increased, including those in situations of protracted displacement.

    Significant commitments to support Syrian refugees gain employment were made at the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in London on 4 February, which was co-hosted by the UK alongside Norway, Germany, Kuwait and the UN.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if the Government will contribute emergency aid to Fiji and its surrounding islands following the recent cyclone.

    Justine Greening

    The UK is assisting Fiji in response to Tropical Cyclone Winston. The UK makes core contributions to the UN Agencies, CERF, ECHO and the Red Cross, all of whom may contribute to the response. We are also contributing technical support to strengthen UNICEF’s capacity and are ready to consider further requests for humanitarian experts should it be required. DFID has also offered to provide support to the UN Disaster & Coordination team and will remain in contact with Agencies in the region.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to page 169 of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s report, Economic and fiscal outlook March 2016, to which partners the £800 million loans will be disbursed in 2016-17; what assessment she has made of the comparative utility of loans and grants for effective development projects; how repayments of those loans will affect the level of recorded Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend; and what assessment she has made of the effect of the growing proportion of capital departmental expenditure limits (DEL) ODA spend and a declining proportion of resource DEL ODA spend on her Department’s effectiveness.

    Justine Greening

    DFID is planning to invest around £400m in loans in 16/17 rather than the £800m figure erroneously reported in the Office for Budget Responsibility figures. The precise breakdown of those loans has not been finalised.