Westminster – The contentious Assisted Dying Bill returns to the House of Commons today, reigniting fierce debate among Members of Parliament as well as the medical profession. Spearheaded by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and strongly backed by Dame Esther Rantzen and Sir Keir Starmer, the Bill aims to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults under specific safeguards. However, opposition remains staunch, with critics raising concerns over the adequacy of protections and the pace at which the legislation is progressing.
MPs are set to participate in a five-hour session to debate and vote on a series of proposed amendments during the Bill’s report stage. It is anticipated that proceedings may spill over into a second day next month, meaning a decisive vote on the full legislation will not be reached today.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) have both expressed reservations. The RCP noted “concerning deficiencies” in the current wording of the Bill, while the RCPsych declared “serious concerns”, refusing to endorse the draft legislation. These criticisms have strengthened the arguments of those who fear the law could be open to abuse or wrongly applied without adequate protections for vulnerable patients.
Dame Esther Rantzen, aged 84 and living with stage four cancer, remains a vocal supporter of the Bill. In a statement to the PA news agency, she reaffirmed her stance: “I continue to fully support Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying Bill which will give patients, like me, with a terminal diagnosis, the choice they need and deserve at the end of their lives.” Though unable to attend in person, she is expected to follow the debate remotely.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, currently on an official trip to Albania, has restated his support for the Bill, having voted in favour last year. Speaking to journalists earlier this week, he welcomed the level of scrutiny it is receiving and said he was “satisfied” it had been given “sufficient time” for parliamentary debate. The Government remains neutral, allowing MPs to vote according to their conscience.
Among the amendments under consideration are measures to ensure that participation in the assisted dying process remains voluntary for medical staff, and that the topic cannot be introduced to a patient by health professionals unless raised by the patient themselves. Further provisions aim to bar the discussion of assisted dying with anyone under the age of 18.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, a longstanding critic of assisted dying proposals, argued that the Bill “has not been made safer”. She criticised the replacement of a previously proposed High Court safeguard with expert panels, warning this may reduce oversight. Her concerns were echoed by faith-based groups such as Christian Action Research and Education (CARE), whose chief executive, Ross Hendry, called for more investment in palliative care. “Experts stress the effectiveness of holistic palliative care in meeting the physical, mental and spiritual needs of terminally ill people,” he said.
Despite the controversy, supporters say momentum is building. Reform UK’s Sarah Pochin, newly elected in Runcorn and Helsby, has pledged her support—marking a change from her predecessor Mike Amesbury, who voted against the Bill last year.
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Kim Leadbeater remains optimistic. In an op-ed published in the Mirror, she wrote: “We are closer than ever to achieving the change the British public have long been calling for.” She also argued that the revised Bill “goes further than any other around the world in its safeguards, oversight and regulation”.
Advocacy group Dignity in Dying has called today’s Commons debate a “milestone in the journey towards a more compassionate and safeguarded law”.
As the Commons deliberates, families across the UK who have experienced the complexities of end-of-life care await the outcome with bated breath—hopeful that this long-standing issue might at last receive legislative resolution.
