Assisted Dying Bill Could Be Revived Following Private Members’ Ballot
Assisted dying campaigners have a narrow opportunity to revive the bill after two MPs who support the change ranked in the top five of the latest private members’ bill ballot.
Supporters of Kim Leadbeater’s original private member’s bill, which previously ran out of time to be enacted, may use the Parliament Act to bypass the House of Lords if they can convince another MP to introduce the bill again in the Commons.
The Labour MP Lauren Edwards, a supporter of the bill, secured second place in the ballot, while Liberal Democrat MP Andrew George came fourth. The ballot was drawn on Thursday morning.
This year’s ballot attracted 485 MPs, the highest number in the past decade. Twenty MPs were selected to present their bills, but realistically, only those in the top five positions have a viable chance of securing enough time to pass legislation.
Andrew George Considers Taking on the Bill
Andrew George, MP for St Ives, told he would take time to decide whether to take on the bill. MPs must present their bills by 17 June. He stated the bill was
“on my list as a potential but it’s a list of at least a dozen and growing”.
George plans to consult his constituents over the next two weeks before making a final decision.
“This is a great opportunity for West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly,”he said.
“That’s why I want to take a little time to listen to what constituents say before finally making my decision about which option would be best.”
Previously a vocal critic of the bill’s delay in the Lords, George said reviving it would
“end for good the disgraceful abuse of entitlement by a few members of the House of Lords”.However, he is also considering other issues such as affordable housing, safe nurse staffing, and palliative care standards.
Leadbeater Urges MPs to Support Bill’s Return
Kim Leadbeater has written to MPs in recent days urging supporters to allow the bill to return to the Commons. Among the MPs selected in the ballot, support for the bill is evenly split, with 10 in favour and 10 opposed.
The Conservative MP who topped the ballot, Sir Desmond Swayne, opposes the bill.
Leadbeater’s bill, which must be reintroduced in identical form by another MP for the Parliament Act to apply, proposes allowing terminally ill adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to request an assisted death, subject to approval by medical and legal professionals.
Leadbeater commented on the current climate surrounding the bill:
“If anything, people feel more focused on the issue because of what happened in the Lords. Even people who didn’t necessarily support the bill in the Commons, I can think of two or three particular examples, are furious at the behaviour of a small number of peers, that the bill wasn’t able to reach a conclusion. I think if anything, there’ll be more support.”
Opposition Voices Concerns Over Bill’s Return
Jess Asato, a Labour MP who opposed the bill, argued that bringing it back would be a distraction.
“We know the assisted dying bill is flawed and unsafe because the experts like the royal medical colleges and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have told us,”she said.
“The last thing our party should be focusing on right now is continuing to debate this deeply divisive, flawed and risky bill rather than delivering on the priorities of voters.”
