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Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP advocating for the legalisation of assisted dying in England and Wales, has expressed concern that certain members of the House of Lords might be deliberately attempting to delay the bill’s progression into law. She highlighted that the legislation is nearing a critical “crunch point” after over 1,000 amendments have been proposed in the Lords. This bill, which secured historic approval from MPs in June, requires the consent of both Houses of Parliament to become official law.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill advanced through its initial stage in the Lords in September, but its enactment depends on an agreed final version between MPs and peers before the current parliamentary session concludes in the spring. Despite having four days dedicated to detailed examination of the bill, peers have only addressed fewer than 30 amendments so far. The process is further complicated by the fact that the bill was introduced by a backbench MP rather than the government, a status that increases the risk of the bill running out of debate time.
On one of the committee days, all four hours were spent discussing a subset of 21 amendments related to safeguards against coercion in assisted dying cases. After this debate, Leadbeater told the BBC that although she respected concerns and acknowledged the good faith of most peers, some discussions had become “repetitive,” revisiting issues that MPs had thoroughly debated. She affirmed that “in practice, the protection is there,” and voiced her worry that some parliamentary procedures might be intentionally employed to block the bill’s passage, describing this as “deeply disappointing and upsetting.”
The bill’s journey through the Lords recalls a similar initiative in 2014, which ultimately failed to progress, though that earlier bill had not been approved by MPs beforehand. Leadbeater voiced her apprehension that the Lords might try to block a bill after it has already passed the Commons, saying, “the Lords have to respect that, and we have to respect democracy.” Although legalising assisted dying was not included in any major party’s manifesto before the last general election, parties have agreed to treat the issue as a conscience vote, allowing MPs to decide independently. Critics argue that further redrafting is necessary to adequately protect vulnerable individuals. Former DUP leader Baron Dodds of Duncairn and former High Court judge Elizabeth Butler-Sloss both emphasized the importance of controls and acknowledged that while some dislike the bill, improving it rather than blocking it is the goal.
Ministers have decided against using government time to debate the amendments in the Lords but have indicated they may consider alternative approaches to extend debating opportunities. Suggested options include scheduling extra Friday sittings—days typically reserved for backbench business—or reallocating time from other parliamentary subjects and lengthening sessions from Monday to Thursday
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