Two deaths shaped my belief in the right to die. This bill could change everything | Polly Toynbee

It’s too late for my mother and friend, but the assisted dying bill could end the appalling suffering of countless others

Bravo to Kim Leadbeater. She can expect a rough ride for introducing an assisted dying bill. If passed, the Leadbeater legislation will enter the history books as another basic right brought in by a Labour government. Even though the public has for years backed the right to die – in the latest poll by 75% for to 14% against, and the My Death, My Decision campaign reckons a huge majority of MPs in the new parliament are set to back it – she will come under ferocious cannonades from those vehemently opposed.

After Leadbeater topped the private member’s bill ballot, hundreds of good causes were pressed on her, from saving ferrets to catching puppy smugglers. She opted for the one that will relieve the most human suffering, not just for the relatively few people likely to speed the end of their lives, but for millions who fear exiting through a torture chamber of agony and anguish. Anyone who receives a terminal diagnosis fears how the last stages of their life may be, not knowing what they will have to tolerate. What if they are among those who find that even the best palliative care doesn’t ease their pain and distress? Knowing you can decide when to go lifts much of the dread.

Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist

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