Over a hundred MPs write to the Prime Minister in support of assisted suicide

Over 150 MPs have signed letters to Prime Minister Keir Starmer raising concerns about the slow progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and asking him to intervene to prevent peers from blocking the legislation.

The letter has been signed by over 100 Labour MPs, and similar letters have been sent by the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Plaid Cymru, and Reform. It is believed that a number of parliamentary private secretaries have also written to the Prime Minister in a separate letter. This comes as the Scottish Parliament vote on Tuesday on their own assisted suicide bill, put forward by Liberal Democrat MSP, Liam McArthur.

The MP’s letter has been organised by the Labour MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, Peter Prinsley, wrote to claim that a small number of peers are using “procedural tactics” to block the Bill in the House of Lords. The Bill passed the House of Commons back in June with a slim majority of only 23 votes.

“While we fully respect the Government’s neutrality on the principle of assisted dying, we are confident that you would agree with us that we cannot be neutral on the fundamental democratic principle that it is for the elected House of Commons to decide on this matter” the letter argues. It goes on to ask that “whether or not the Bill returns through the private members’ bill ballot after the Kings Speech, time will be found for Parliament to come to a decision in the next session.”

Because the Bill is a Private Members Bill, put forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, it needs to complete its legislative journey before the end of this session of Parliament, expected in May. The Bill has gone through extensive scrutiny in the House of Lords with over 1,200 amendments being considered by peers. Three days of debate remain in the Lords with around half of the amendments still be to be discussed.

One opponent of the Bill, Labour MP Jess Asato, said: “The sponsor of the bill has rejected 99% of suggested improvements and amendments in the House of Lords and so it still contains all the same faults and issues. We know this is true because the experts, such as the Royal Colleges and professionals, have told the Lords this. Any MP that voted to push this Bill through would do so knowing that it is unsafe and would harm vulnerable people.”