Key facts
- An assisted dying bill is set to return to parliament.
- Labour MP Lauren Edwards will use her private member's bill to reintroduce the legislation.
- The bill previously passed the House of Commons but did not pass the House of Lords.
- Supporters believe the bill is supported by a large majority of voters.
- Opponents argue the bill is flawed and divisive, handing unchecked powers over life and death.
An assisted dying bill is poised to return to the House of Commons, with Labour MP Lauren Edwards agreeing to champion the legislation through her private member's bill. Edwards aims to give the bill another opportunity to pass after it was previously blocked in the House of Lords. She emphasized that her decision is rooted in democratic principles, stating that a minority in the Lords prevented the bill from a final vote. The legislation, which grants terminally ill adults over 16 the right to end their life with expert approval, had successfully passed the Commons in the previous year but ran out of time in the upper chamber due to numerous amendments proposed by opponents.
Edwards, whose decision is partly inspired by her birthplace in Victoria, Australia, the first Australian state to legalize assisted dying, believes the bill is supported by a significant majority of the public. Sarah Wootton, CEO of Dignity in Dying, welcomed the announcement, highlighting the relief for terminally ill individuals and their families and stressing the need for safe, compassionate alternatives. However, some opponents, like former health minister Ashley Dalton, expressed dismay, describing the bill as deeply divisive and flawed, and warning it could grant unchecked powers over life and death. Edwards hopes the Parliament Act will not be necessary but is prepared to use it if the Lords again attempt to block the bill.