Assisted dying bill: Terminally ill people react after MPs vote

The 53-year-old has been told for the past five years that he is terminally ill and knows he could die tomorrow by choking on food or on his own saliva.

Another concern he has about the bill being passed is that terminally ill people, vulnerable as they face the emotions of dying soon, will choose to end their lives unnecessarily early for what they consider to be noble reasons.

“It’s the good people, the people who are trying to be virtuous, who are dignified and trying to do the right thing – they are the ones I’m worried about and think [this law] could be problematic for,” he tells us.

“It will be the grandmother in the care home that doesn’t want to spend all the money she’s got in her savings account because she wants her grandchildren to get it,” he says. “It will be people like her who seek to end their lives.”

He adds: “This is despite the fact her grandchildren will be likely to value the last of the time they have got with her more than they are an additional £10,000 or £20,000.

“People will make a [life or death] decision based on internal judgements that aren’t necessarily accurate because people don’t have honest conversations about death.”

He says better conversations would help people who are terminally ill make the most of the time they have left with their loved ones, and so choose not to end their lives early.