Dame Tanni tells of abuse over assisted dying Bill

A PARALYMPIAN and House of Lords peer has disclosed that she has received hostile emails branding her “responsible for people dying in pain” following her stance against the assisted dying Bill.

- AINE FOX

Crossbench peer Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is amongst those anticipated to contribute to a landmark debate on Friday, when the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill makes its return to Parliament.

A veteran campaigner for disabled people's rights, she acknowledged that whilst it has been challenging to digest some of the messages aimed at her regarding this contentious matter, she recognises it forms “part of the job”.

The Welsh sporting legend said: “I've had emails, people saying, 'thank you so much for protecting us'. And I’ve had some incredibly abusive ones as well, saying that I'm responsible for people dying in pain, and it will be on me.”

She explained that her personal experience witnessing her mother’s challenging death from cancer helps her comprehend people’s passionate responses, yet she maintains there ought to be greater emphasis on enhancing end-of-life care.

She said: “It’s absolutely appalling that people are scared about how they're going to die. But we should be having proper specialist palliative care.”

Regarding the harassment she has endured, she continued: “If you accept the role in the House of Lords, you have to accept there's a lot of people who don’t like what you do.”