A leaked document has raised questions over the extent of government influence behind Labour MP Kim Leadbeater's private member's bill on assisted dying. The document, seen by the Guardian, was drafted while Labour was in opposition and proposes a change strikingly similar to Leadbeater's bill, which would limit assisted dying to mentally competent, terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live.
The leak comes ahead of a major battle in the House of Lords on Friday, where peers have tabled hundreds of amendments, seen by some as an attempt to filibuster the bill. Ten additional sitting days have been allocated for debate, but supporters fear the bill may run out of time in the current parliamentary session.
A Labour source opposed to the bill described the leak as exposing 'a shadow policymaking process, outside of the Labour manifesto, and with no consultation with MPs, unions or members, that sought to evade scrutiny on an issue of huge importance.' A spokesperson for Leadbeater categorically denied that the MP had any conversations with No 10 or party leadership before taking up the issue.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a long-time supporter of changing the law, had previously raised the possibility of a private member's bill when leader of the opposition. The policy note, drafted in November 2023, suggests that legalising assisted dying could help win back older voters and mentions 11 references to the campaign group Dignity in Dying.
The document warns that Labour's neutral stance on the issue was 'unlikely to sustain us through an election campaign' and that not acting would 'show Labour as unable to take a position on difficult issues.' It also notes that a private member's bill would allow for a free, conscience vote while enabling the government to 'control the parameters of legislation carefully through working with advocacy groups and government civil servants.'
