A bill to legalise assisted dying entered the Commons, former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond passed away, a deal to relinquish the Chagos Islands to Mauritius was struck, and Commonwealth leaders met in Samoa.
The Assisted Dying Bill
Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Spen Valley, introduced the Assisted Dying Bill to Parliament on October 16.
While the full text of the bill hasn’t been published, its full title says that it will “allow adults who are terminally ill, subject to safeguards and protections, to request and be provided with assistance to end their own life”.
The government has decided that its MPs can vote freely on the bill, as it is a complex issue with deep social implications. MPs will vote on the bill on November 29.
Many voiced their opinions on the bill, with the head of the Church of England, Justin Welby, suggesting that it could be a ‘slippery slope’ with people feeling pressured to end their lives medically.
Meanwhile, an Ipsos poll from 2023 suggests that almost two-thirds of the British population support some form of assisted death, subject to safeguards.
Death of Alex Salmond
Former Scottish First Minister, ex-SNP leader, and leader of the Alba party, Alex Salmond, passed away in mid-October.
He was attending a youth conference in North Macedonia and suffered a heart attack during lunch.
Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, with the King praising Salmond’s ‘devotion to Scotland’, PM Keir Starmer calling him a ‘monumental figure of Scottish and UK politics’, and First Minister John Swinney celebrating his ‘enormous contribution to political life’.
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that she was ‘shocked and sorry’ to hear of Salmond’s death and that despite the breakdown in their relationship, he was an ‘incredibly significant figure’ in her life.
The UK Government rejected calls to draft in the RAF to repatriate Salmond’s body, because it would break the protocol of only transporting deceased royals, and cost £600,000, according to The Times.
A private funeral took place for Salmond in Strichen on October 29 and was attended by family and friends.
Other attendees included Alba party members and former House of Commons speaker John Bercow.
The Scottish Government released a statement confirming that Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney did not attend ‘in line with the wishes of Salmond’s family’.
Chagos Islands handover
The UK Government confirmed in early October that it will hand over the remote Chagos Islands to neighbouring Mauritius.
This deal came following years of negotiations, including a 2021 UN court ruling that the UK had no sovereignty over the Chagos islands.
Despite the UK’s rejection of this ruling in 2021, an abrupt change in approach saw 13 rounds of negotiations between the UK and Mauritius starting in 2022.
The final deal will allow a right of return for Chagossians, whom the UK forcibly expelled in the 1960s and 70s in an act of postwar colonialism.
The UK will return all islands except Diego Garcia to Mauritius. This will remain under British control, as it holds a joint UK-US military base, and is vital for countering Chinese interests in the Indian Ocean.
Opinions poured in following the announcement, with US President Joe Biden praising it as an example of overcoming historical disagreement to peaceful outcomes.
Meanwhile, James Cleverly, who announced the negotiations as Conservative Foreign Secretary, condemned the deal as harmful to British interests.
Commonwealth leaders meet in Samoa
In late October, the leaders of 56 Commonwealth nations met in Samoa to discuss topics ranging from climate change to slavery reparations.
Despite the UK’s insistence that slavery reparations were not on the agenda, Commonwealth leaders defied this. They released a joint communiqué, saying ‘the time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity’.
While a blow to the UK, this communiqué’s lack of calls for direct financial reparations opens the door to reparations as educational programmes, an official apology from the UK state, or debt relief.
Other agenda topics included climate change-related issues, particularly those faced by island nations.
According to Reuters, one agreement reserves territorial fishing grounds for an island nation, even if it were submerged and its people relocated.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were absent, as they chose instead to attend the Russian-hosted BRICS summit.
Honourable mentions
Labour suspended Mike Amesbury MP following CCTV and mobile footage of him verbally and physically assaulting a man.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming print edition, which will cover the 2024 UK budget and the conclusion of the Conservative leadership election.
Featured Image: Edward Jewsbury
Politics Editor
Journalism and Politics 4th Year
Stockport
