On Friday, November 29, MPs will vote on whether to begin the process of making it legal for a terminally ill person with less than six months to live to seek an assisted death. 

In my short time as a Member of Parliament I have been contacted by more people on this issue than any other. 

I understand this is a very emotive issue with strong views on both sides, and I want to thank all those who have got in touch – especially those of you who have shared deeply personal life experiences. 

For me, there are two key issues. 

The first is the issue of compassion, dignity, and individual autonomy. 

I believe the right to choose how and when we face mortality is a fundamental aspect of human dignity, particularly in the face of unbearable pain and suffering caused by terminal illness. 

In those circumstances, when medical interventions offer no relief and pain becomes relentless, affording people the choice of an assisted death, in my view, offers a compassionate alternative. 

It allows individuals to die on their own terms, surrounded by their loved ones and free from excruciating pain. 

Second, there are glaring inadequacies in our current laws surrounding assisted dying. 

Without meaning to, we have created a system where an assisted death is only available to those who would risk dangerous and unregulated methods in their quest for relief, or those with sufficient wealth to access safe options for assisted dying overseas, while others are left to suffer in silence. 

And in either case without any safeguards to ensure that this is their choice. 

In my view, a legal framework for assisted dying would provide greater safety, transparency, and accountability and would enable us to establish clear guidelines and protections for those who seek assisted dying, ensuring that their choices are made freely and without coercion. 

For these reasons, I intend to vote for the draft bill on Friday so that it can proceed to the committee stage, where it will be examined line-by-line. 

The draft bill, which is supported by three former directors of public prosecutions, has been described as having some of the strictest safeguards of any assisted dying law in the world. 

However, I am especially mindful of the representations I have received from disabled people and their advocates in our community who fear how a law will work in practice. 

Should the bill move forward, I will be listening carefully to understand how these safeguards are likely to work ahead of any final vote next year. 

This is an opportunity to put in place a law on assisted dying that reflects modern societal views, upholds the right to self-determination, offers choice at the end of life and provides robust safeguards to prevent abuse. 

To reject this Bill would not only be an acceptance of our current broken laws, but it would also be a decision to abrogate our responsibilities to control and regulate a system that is already here and is currently uncontrolled and unregulated. 

I am confident that we will arrive at a bill that strikes the right balance between the freedom to choose and protection for the vulnerable.