More than 100 Labour MPs have written to Sir Keir Starmer urging him to ensure the assisted dying bill is not blocked by the House of Lords and is given time to return to the Commons in the next parliamentary session. The legislation, sponsored by Kim Leadbeater, would give terminally ill people in England and Wales with less than six months to live the right to an assisted death.
The bill passed the Commons in June last year with a majority of 23 but has since been subject to extensive amendments and lengthy debates in the Lords. With only three days of allocated time remaining before the session ends in May, supporters say it is now effectively impossible for the bill to complete its remaining stages. The letter, coordinated by Peter Prinsley, MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, claims a small number of peers have been using procedural tactics to block progress.
In a covering letter to the prime minister, Prinsley wrote: "A small number of peers have been using procedural tactics to block the bill in the House of Lords and it now appears very likely that they will prevent it returning to the Commons before the end of this session. While we fully respect the government's neutrality on the principle of assisted dying, we are confident that you would agree with us that we cannot be neutral on the fundamental democratic principle that it is for the elected House of Commons to decide on this matter."
MPs from other parties, including Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Green, Plaid Cymru and Reform, have also written to Starmer, bringing the total to about 150. The letter argues that ensuring the bill returns would not require sacrificing government neutrality, as it would remain a conscience issue. If the bill passes the Commons again, supporters could potentially use the Parliament Act to bypass further Lords obstruction, a step never previously taken for a private member's bill.
Opponents of the bill, who have submitted more than 1,200 amendments, deny filibustering and argue the legislation is unfit for purpose. Labour MP Jess Asato said the bill's sponsor had rejected 99% of suggested improvements, entrenching its flaws. Lord Falconer, who sponsors the bill in the Lords, said there was "absolutely no hope" of it reaching the statute book in this session without a fundamental change in tactics.
