Assisted dying poll is a sham

‘What Molly Meacher doesn’t say is that the poll is designed to make a change in RCP stance inevitable and could easily do so even if a majority oppose it,’ notes John Saunders. Photograph: Rui Vieira/PA

Molly Meacher (Letters, 24 January) refers to the Royal College of Physicians’ forthcoming poll on assisted dying. What she doesn’t say is that the poll is designed to make a change in RCP stance inevitable and could easily do so even if a majority oppose it.

It uses a three-way question (for, against, neutral on the RCP stance) to which there must be a 60% result in the vote to maintain the status quo. If not, the RCP stance will change to a default so-called “neutral”. With a virtually guaranteed outcome, this is a sham poll with a rigged outcome.
John Saunders
Former chair of ethics, councillor and trustee, Royal College of Physicians

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