Assisted dying Bill pushed back to after local elections
The next stage of a Labour MP's assisted dying Bill has been pushed back to after the local elections amid concerns it has been watered down.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was scheduled to return to the Commons on April 25 but it has now been delayed until May 16.
Labour MPs were pressing Kim Leadbeater, the sponsor of the Bill, to push back a vote on the amended legislation until after the county council elections on May 1.
At committee stage in February, Ms Leadbeater announced a plan to effectively replace the need for a High Court judge to approve each assisted death with an expert panel.
She insisted it would be a 'change for the better' that actually strengthened safeguards, but opponents of legislation warned it would dilute much-needed protections.
'Significantly strengthened' an already robust legislation
In a letter to MPs on Tuesday, Ms Leadbeater said: 'The next debate in the Commons for Report Stage will now take place on Friday May 16. I greatly appreciate the effort colleagues have made to keep the previously announced date free in their diaries.
'But I have listened carefully to members on all sides of the issue who have told me that they would welcome more time to consider the amendments made to the Bill in committee, and consider the new version of the Bill in its entirety as a result of these important changes.'
Ms Leadbeater went on to say she felt a 'duty' to take into account feedback about her proposals, and insisted a 'sensible' three-week delay would not delay the Bill overall.
She added: 'I believe the amendments in committee have significantly strengthened what was already the most robust assisted dying legislation in the world, but I appreciate that some of those changes are significant and colleagues will want time to study them.'
'Beyond a joke'
On Tuesday night, opponents of assisted dying said the delay showed the legislation had gone too far, with John Lamont, the Conservative MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, saying: ' This Bill continues to be shrouded in chaos. It's becoming beyond a joke.
'Last week, I thought the decisive vote would be later this month. It's now looking like it will be well into June.'
MPs backed the assisted dying Bill in principle at its second reading in the Commons in November as it passed by 330 votes to 275.
Sir Keir Starmer gave MPs a free vote on the issue. He voted in favour of the move although Angela Rayner, his deputy, and Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, both voted against.
Mr Streeting said on Thursday that he still plans to vote against assisted dying when the proposals return to the Commons, saying he disagrees on the 'merits of the Bill overall'.
Supporters of legalising assisted dying believe the legislation, which covers terminally ill adults with less than six months to live, would allow dignity in dying and ease distress at the end of life.
But opponents fear it could have unintended consequences by putting vulnerable people under pressure to kill themselves, while also warning the system would be open to abuse.
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