Tanni Grey-Thompson Faces Abuse Over Opposition to Assisted Dying Bill

Published: 08 September ‘2025. The English Chronicle Desk

Tanni Grey-Thompson, the renowned Paralympic legend and crossbench peer, has revealed that she has received a wave of “abusive” emails accusing her of being “responsible for people dying in pain” because of her opposition to the assisted dying bill currently before the House of Lords.

The multiple Paralympic gold medallist, who has long been an advocate for disability rights, is expected to speak during the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The legislation, if passed, would permit terminally ill individuals in England and Wales to seek medical assistance to end their lives, a proposal that has ignited one of the most polarising debates in recent parliamentary history.

In a candid interview with the Press Association, Grey-Thompson spoke of the deeply divided reactions her stance has provoked. “I’ve had emails, people saying: ‘thank you so much for protecting us’,” she said. “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.”

The former athlete explained that her perspective has been shaped by personal experience, notably her mother’s battle with cancer. While she acknowledged the genuine fears many have about suffering at the end of life, she stressed that the real focus should be on improving access to high-quality palliative care. “It’s absolutely appalling that people are scared about how they’re going to die. But we should be having proper specialist palliative care,” she said.

On the issue of online and email abuse, Grey-Thompson remarked with characteristic resilience that criticism is part of political life. “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,” she added.

The assisted dying bill, which was narrowly approved by MPs in June, has attracted unprecedented attention in the Lords, with nearly 200 peers scheduled to speak during its second reading. The legislation’s path forward remains uncertain. “The bill could still fall. It could run out of [parliamentary] time,” Grey-Thompson warned.

Should it progress, the bill will undergo committee and report stages for further scrutiny. Supporters hope it could reach the statute book by the end of the current parliamentary session, although its provisions would not be implemented for at least four years. The measure is being championed in the Lords by former lord chancellor Charlie Falconer, who has defended the bill’s safeguards as sufficient to prevent abuse. “I feel very positive that the bill will pass,” he said, adding that peers would have ample opportunity to improve the legislation.

Campaigners such as broadcaster Esther Rantzen have publicly urged peers not to obstruct the bill, while Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the legislation in the Commons, has called for a fair and transparent debate, free of procedural manoeuvres. Falconer himself has dismissed fears of deliberate obstruction, insisting that the focus should be on ensuring safeguards while recognising the bill as “very, very safeguarded.”

Despite the growing momentum behind the legislation, Grey-Thompson has made clear her intention to push for amendments to strengthen protections further. She voiced concerns about potential coercion and the possibility of the law fundamentally altering the doctor-patient relationship. “It’s my intention to bring a number of amendments to make it as safe as it can possibly be. But we do need to have a really detailed discussion,” she said.

Acknowledging that many peers’ positions are shaped by deeply personal experiences, she nonetheless cautioned against legislating on sentiment alone. “We have to be mindful of people but our job is not to govern on emotion. Emotion makes bad law,” she remarked.

As the House of Lords prepares for one of its most closely watched debates in years, Grey-Thompson stressed the importance of reasoned, balanced deliberation. “We’re a long way off knowing what the outcome of this is going to be. What is really important is we absolutely have to debate the issue in a really sensible and calm way. Because whatever way you look at it, there’s a lot of people on the outside who are scared – scared of it not happening and scared of it happening.”

The coming days will therefore prove critical, not only for the fate of the assisted dying bill but also for the wider moral, ethical, and medical questions it raises. For now, Grey-Thompson remains resolute in her belief that the best path forward lies in strengthening end-of-life care rather than altering the law to allow assisted dying.