A landmark Bill to legalise assisted dying is on the verge of collapsing, with several MPs preparing to withdraw their backing amid a growing backlash over the proposed legislation. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed its second reading last year by 330 votes to 275 — an historic moment for campaigners.
However, with only just 28 MPs needing to switch sides to block the Bill when it next comes before the Commons, the legislation is now teetering. At least 15 MPs from Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats who previously backed the Bill or abstained are now understood to be reconsidering their positions, reports The Telegraph. The shift in mood comes as the Bill returns to the Commons on Friday for a debate on amendments.
Although a final vote is technically possible, the sheer volume of proposed changes — including 44 amendments from the Bill’s sponsor Kim Leadbeater — means it is unlikely to progress to the next stage immediately.
Ms Leadbeater, Labour MP for Spen Valley, is trying to keep wavering MPs onside by offering a series of concessions, including a fresh review of palliative care provision and a ban on advertising assisted dying services.
However, some MPs regard the last-minute flurry of amendments as a sign of instability.
Labour MP James Frith said: “It’s disappointing but not surprising that yet again the Bill sponsor has tabled new amendments at the last possible moment.
“For a change to the law of such profound significance, this is unacceptable.”
Charlie Dewhirst, Conservative MP for Bridlington and the Wolds, who abstained in the original vote, has now said he will vote against the Bill.
He said: “I am concerned now that the scope is very wide. There seems to be a lack of protections, for example, for people with autism.
“It really feels to me that it’s far wider than we were assured it was going to be.”
Conservative MP Sir David Davis, who previously voted in favour, said he is now wavering, citing concerns that doctors could initiate assisted dying conversations, raising echoes of the controversial use of “do not resuscitate” orders during the Covid pandemic.
Liberal Democrat MP Bobby Dean, who supported the Bill last year, said he is still weighing up his position in light of “significant late interventions” from medical bodies including the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) and the Royal College of Physicians.
Dr Lade Smith, president of the RCPsych, said the organisation had “a number of concerns” with the legislation, including the lack of safeguards to ensure a patient was not suffering from a treatable mental health disorder.
The Bill also contains no obligation for those seeking assisted dying to inform family members.
Opponents’ fears were heightened after a Government impact assessment estimated 4,500 assisted deaths per year within a decade — and suggested the law could save £90 million in healthcare, pension and benefits costs.
One Labour MP warned the proposal was politically dangerous, saying: “Farage will be first to say, ‘Now they’re taking your lives.’”
A final vote is expected next month, possibly on June 13 or 20.