Sadiq Khan’s Transport for London (TfL) is facing backlash after a series of pro-assisted dying advertisements appeared prominently on the London Underground, sparking outrage just days before the controversial assisted dying Bill is debated in Parliament.
The ads, created by the group Dignity in Dying, feature emotional messages such as “My dying wish is my family won’t see me suffer,” displayed in high-profile locations like Westminster Underground station, near the Houses of Parliament.
Critics have dubbed the corridor adorned with these ads the “Westminster Death Tunnel,” slamming TfL for approving what many deem “crass and insensitive” messaging.
Conservative commentator Adrian Hilton called the decision “grotesque,” highlighting its insensitivity given the Tube’s history of suicides and TfL’s strict guidelines against controversial ads.
While TfL rules allow non-party-political campaigns under certain conditions, the Mayor’s office has distanced itself from the controversy, claiming Khan has no role in ad approvals.
Critics argue the ads misleadingly depict end-of-life care in the UK, ignoring the country’s strong palliative care system and existing rights to refuse treatment. Meanwhile, Dignity in Dying defends the campaign as a necessary push for the Bill, advocating for legal choice in assisted dying for terminally ill adults.
This assisted dying advert is in circulation on the London Underground.
We are governed by psychopaths. pic.twitter.com/96uJlHvv9N
— Dead Ferrets (@Deadferrets) November 25, 2024
Covid VAX was seemingly not enough