After a two-year battle, Dr Alex Allinson’s, a former GP turned politician, assisted dying bill passed its final reading last week. The law, expected to take effect by 2027, will make the Isle of Man the first place in the British Isles to allow terminally ill patients with less than 12 months to live to choose an assisted death.
Allinson, 59, has made major legislative changes his mission since entering politics in 2016. After successfully decriminalising abortion, he turned his attention to assisted dying, and now, drug reform.
“We have some of the toughest penalties in the British Isles for drug offences,” he said. “I believe we are criminalising people unnecessarily. The war on drugs hasn’t worked—we need a more rational debate”.
He points to successful cannabis legalisation efforts across Europe, arguing that regulation would reduce crime and free up law enforcement resources.
Allinson was deeply affected by two patients’ suffering, which convinced him of the need for assisted dying. One had terminal lung cancer and may have overdosed on his prescribed opioids. Another, a young man with a neck tumour, faced a slow, painful death with no way to ease his suffering.
While the Isle of Man moves forward, the future of assisted dying in England and Wales is uncertain. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater postponed her private member’s bill until after the next election, raising concerns that reform could be delayed until at least 2029.
Scotland, Jersey, and Guernsey are also debating assisted dying laws, though a 2018 attempt in Guernsey failed.
The Isle of Man’s ageing population – where the average age is 44 -means a small number of people are expected to seek an assisted death. Allinson estimates 5 to 16 people annually will choose the option.
Sue Biggerstaff, 65, lost her husband Simon to motor neurone disease in 2022 and has since become a vocal advocate. Watching him suffer, she says, was unbearable:
“His life had become intolerable. He kept asking us to make it stop”.
When the bill passed, she “burst into tears” in the Tynwald parliament’s viewing gallery. Now, she plans to campaign for reform in the UK, saying, “We need to keep the momentum going.”
Public opinion on the Isle of Man remains divided. Retired builder Keith Rise, 75, supports the law after witnessing his parents endure painful deaths from cancer. In contrast, former teacher Jenny McCall, 72, believes the law is dangerous, arguing that doctors cannot accurately predict when someone will die.
Chief Minister Alfred Cannan opposed the bill, warning of legal challenges and a shift in the doctor-patient relationship. While he respects the democratic process, he noted that the secondary legislation needed to enforce the law could still be blocked. With elections approaching in September, Allinson remains focused on his goals.
