Campaigners have continued to call for a change in the law since the legislation was blocked in the Lords.
Assisted Dying Bill Set to Return to the Commons
Labour MP Lauren Edwards has agreed to use her private member's bill to put the assisted dying issue before MPs again, bringing the legislation back to the House of Commons. Edwards stated she wanted to give the bill another chance after it was blocked by the House of Lords, despite having been passed by MPs. The return of the bill would allow supporters to potentially invoke the Parliament Act to bypass the Lords if it is blocked for a second time.
The bill, which grants terminally ill adults over the age of 16 the right to end their life with the approval of a panel of experts, cleared the Commons last year but ran out of time in the Lords after peers opposing the bill tabled more than 1,000 amendments.
Edwards, the MP for Rochester and Strood, secured second place in the ballot for private members' bills, giving her a strong chance of passing the legislation if MPs continue to support it.
Background and Support
Edwards was born in Victoria, Australia, the first state in the country to legalise assisted dying. She has previously described the reform as "one of the most important, compassionate and empowering changes to healthcare we've seen in a generation."
Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, expressed relief at the announcement, saying: "This announcement will come as an enormous relief to terminally ill people and their families. After decades of campaigning, and historic parliamentary progress towards giving dying people proper choice and protection at the end of life, many feared that the law change had been derailed despite the clear support of both the public and elected MPs."
Wootton added: "Lauren Edwards's decision ensures that this vital conversation can continue. Every day, dying people are forced to endure suffering they would not choose, while others take desperate measures because the law offers them no safe, compassionate alternative. They deserve better."
MPs must present their bills this Wednesday in parliament. Edwards must present a bill identical to the version originally passed by the Commons last year, when it was sponsored by Kim Leadbeater. Dignity in Dying confirmed that Edwards had spoken with campaigners, including Elise Burns from Faversham in Kent, who is living with secondary breast cancer.
Next Steps in Parliament
Should the bill pass the Commons again, the Lords would still be able to debate and propose amendments and put it to a vote. However, it cannot be talked out for a second time. Opponents argue the bill was so flawed that it warranted an unprecedented number of amendments, including criticism from several Royal Colleges.
