Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the assisted dying bill for England and Wales, has accused the House of Lords of 'signing its own death warrant' after peers added around 1,200 amendments, likely causing the bill to run out of time. Speaking at a protest outside Parliament organised by Dignity in Dying, Leadbeater said many MPs were 'angry and upset' at the delaying tactics, which she described as ignoring the serious consideration given by the Commons.
The protest marked the second anniversary of the death of campaigner Paola Marra at Dignitas in Switzerland. New figures show that 43 UK residents travelled to Dignitas for an assisted death in 2025, the second-highest number in two decades, up from 37 the previous year. Leadbeater argued that the bill was 'extremely tightly drafted' and that public support for a change in the law was strong.
Labour peer Charlie Falconer, who is steering the bill through the Lords, expressed 'deep disappointment' at what he called 'procedural shenanigans' by a minority of peers. He said the issues should be debated and voted on, but that had not happened. The Lords has only three sessions left to debate the bill, having discussed only half of the amendments.
Protesters included relatives of those who had died at Dignitas. Catie Fenner, whose mother Alison had motor neurone disease, said 1,200 amendments was 'sabotage, not scrutiny'. Linda Deverall, whose partner Ole Hansen travelled to Belgium for an assisted death, described forcing people to travel abroad as 'barbaric'. Jenny Carruthers, who has terminal breast cancer, said the Lords' actions would 'damage democracy'.
Leadbeater noted the irony of the Lords 'signing its own death warrant' on the same day the government moved to remove hereditary peers. She said the bill could be brought back in the next parliamentary session if it runs out of time.
