Peers have submitted an extraordinary number of amendments to the assisted dying bill, significantly slowing its progress through the House of Lords and raising the risk of failure, according to parliamentary sources.
The bill, which passed the House of Commons earlier this year, is now bogged down by a record volume of proposed changes. Senior opponents of the legislation have urged Lords not to deliberately block it, but the sheer number of amendments could effectively stall the bill.
If the bill does not complete its passage through the Lords before the end of the parliamentary session, it could fall entirely. Experts warn this could happen even without a substantive vote on the bill's core principles, as procedural delays may run out the clock.
The development has caused frustration among supporters, who fear the will of the Commons may be thwarted by parliamentary tactics. The government has not yet indicated whether it will timetable the bill to ensure a vote.
