The risks
Coercion
The risk of coercion is huge and cannot be adequately addressed by safeguards - vulnerable groups (e.g., elderly, disabled, or financially strained individuals) might feel pressured to choose death to avoid burdening families. This argument was central to objections from MPs like Diane Abbott and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
Safeguards
Safeguards that have been outlined won't work in practice - judicial approval could become a "rubber-stamp" process, and doctors might inadvertently pressure patients in systems that already display an imbalance of power through patient/professional interactions.
Slippery slope
Other jurisdictions that have implemented assisted dying laws have seen further changes with widening of access and removal of safeguards, often referred to as the slippery slope, and with so much of the bill implemented by regulation there are not enough checks and balances to stop that happening here.​
Prioritise palliative care - redirecting resources to assisted dying could undermine already underfunded hospice systems. Advocacy groups like the Association of Palliative Medicine warn that palliative care must be prioritised first.
Underfunded Palliative care
