Renewed enthusiasm for debate on assisted dying

The latest polling, published for the first time by the Guernsey Press earlier this week, indicated that only one in 10 Guernsey residents was ‘strongly opposed’ to changing the law, whereas the equivalent figure in Jersey and the Isle of Man was about one in four.

When respondents who said they were ‘somewhat opposed’ were added to those who were ‘strongly opposed’, opposition reached 15% in Guernsey, compared to 33% in the Isle of Man and 37% in Jersey.

There was also more enthusiasm in Guernsey for assisted dying to be debated again during the current political term.

In Jersey, where ministers anticipate assisted dying becoming legal in about 2027 if the States Assembly approves detailed proposals expected soon, 63% of respondents said the issue should be debated in the current political term.

In the Isle of Man, where politicians supported the concept in a debate last October, 65% favoured another debate this term.

But in Guernsey three-quarters of respondents wanted the States to debate assisted dying again ahead of next year’s general election, which now looks certain after Deputy Gavin St Pier said he would submit a requete on the issue in the next year.

About one in four people in Jersey and one in five people in the Isle of Man felt that assisted dying should never again be debated by their parliaments, whereas in Guernsey the equivalent figure was only about one in 10.

In total, about 3,500 people took part in the online surveys, split roughly in equal thirds between each of the islands.

Island Global Research, the company which carried out the surveys on behalf of campaign group Dignity in Dying, said there was some indication of self-selection bias in responses collected in Jersey and the Isle of Man, but not in Guernsey, which strengthened campaigners’ views that the results in Guernsey were the most accurate at reflecting public opinion.