Former public health minister Ashley Dalton has called on MPs not to revive the assisted dying bill for England and Wales, describing the legislation as a 'pretty dangerous set of affairs'. Dalton, who has incurable metastatic breast cancer, spoke out as supporters of the bill hope to reintroduce it after it ran out of time in the Lords.
Dalton, the Labour MP for West Lancashire, revealed she is on lifelong treatment for triple-negative breast cancer that has spread to her ovaries. She resigned as a minister in March to focus on treatment and her constituency work. While she is personally opposed to assisted dying, she stressed that her main concern is the quality of the legislation.
The bill, tabled by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, would legalise assisted dying for terminally ill people with less than six months to live. It passed the Commons but was talked out in the Lords after opponents tabled over 1,000 amendments. Dalton said many rejected amendments could have strengthened the bill, but as it stood, it posed risks to vulnerable people.
Dalton expressed relief that the bill fell, citing unresolved questions about its application. She warned that reviving it as a private member's bill would be 'foolish' given its divisive nature. She also feared it could deepen splits within the Labour Party, which is already facing internal challenges.
