More than 100 Labour MPs demand Starmer steps in to stop Lords blocking assisted dying law – but critics say ‘flawed’ legislation ‘needs to fail’

More than 100 Labour MPs demand Starmer steps in to stop Lords blocking assisted dying law – but critics say ‘flawed’ legislation ‘needs to fail’

Over 100 Labour MPs have called on Keir Starmer to take action, urging the House of Lords to halt its obstruction of the assisted dying legislation. They criticized peers in the House of Lords for employing ‘procedural tactics’ to stifle progress on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Following 11 days of examination, only half of the 1,200 proposed amendments have been discussed, raising concerns that the Lords may prevent the bill’s passage before the current parliamentary session concludes. This has sparked worries among the bill’s advocates that neither the Lords nor MPs will approve the legislation by the end of the parliamentary session.

Should this occur, the bill—originally introduced as a Private Members’ Bill—could be defeated, leading to calls for the Prime Minister’s involvement. Over 150 MPs, spanning multiple parties including the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Plaid Cymru, and Reform UK, have joined a private letter to Sir Keir, requesting his intervention.

They have urged him to ensure Parliament dedicates time to reach a verdict on assisted dying in the subsequent session. The bill would retain its status as a conscience vote for MPs, while the government would maintain its neutral stance, and it wouldn’t require time from scheduled government business.

‘A small number of peers have been using procedural tactics to block the Bill in the House of Lords and it now appears very likely that they will prevent it returning to the Commons before the end of this session,’ the joint letter stated.

The letter added: ‘Our constituents across the nation strongly back legal reform, and we are confident that the matter should be settled without further delay.’

Lord Falconer, a former Labour minister and sponsor of the bill in the House of Lords, warned that the upper chamber risks being viewed as an ‘irrelevant talking shop’ without advancing the legislation. He emphasized that the bill would not reach a dead end if Parliament exhausts its time debating it this session, pledging to employ a seldom-used parliamentary process to override the peers.

Labour MP Karl Turner, who initially supported the bill but later rescinded his backing, stated: ‘The legislation isn’t fit for purpose,’ asserting that ‘this is the truth, and that’s why it needs to fail.’

Fellow Labour MP Ashley Dalton, who recently resigned as a government minister while undergoing breast cancer treatment, remarked: ‘The assisted dying debate has been labeled Parliament at its best, but it’s quite the opposite. ‘It’s Parliament’s duty to craft effective legislation. It’s not about overarching principles—it’s about specifics. ‘Given that most amendments enhancing the bill have been rejected, it remains flawed and insufficient to safeguard the vulnerable.’