Over 100 MPs indicate they would switch to reject UK assisted suicide bill after safeguard removed

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Over 100 MPs who voted in favour of a UK assisted suicide bill last year, have indicated they will vote against it after a safeguard was removed from the bill after claims the safeguard was in place as a “ruse”.

From the Independent newspaper in Britain: 

The Independent has seen a list of 142 MPs who voted in favour of assisted dying at second reading and could now change their vote as a result of Kim Leadbeater’s amendment. 

MPs who previously supported the assisted dying bill have announced that they will change their vote after a major safeguard was ditched from the proposed legislation.

It comes as Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the historic bill, today announced her intention to get rid of the much-vaunted safeguard of a High Court judge having the final say in court over an application.

Ms Leadbeater now wants to replace that stage with a commission made up of psychiatrists and social workers who would be involved in approving applications.

The MP for Batley and Spen denied that she was watering down the safeguard, but the dramatic move has already changed the perspective of some MPs.

On 29th November 2024, UK MPs voted 330 votes to 275 in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, that would see to the legalisation of assisted suicide in the UK. The result of the vote meant that the bill passed its second reading, and is currently undergoing discussions before being brought back to parliament for another vote. The bill had a 55-vote majority during its second reading, meaning that only 28 MPs would have to vote against the bill in the third reading for it to be defeated. 

Last month, a committee was set up to scrutinise the bill, but was criticised as being heavily biased in favour of assisted suicide. Despite this, many of those opposing the bill, including disability rights activist, Liz Carr, still voiced their strong opposition as the committee were reminded that no disability organisation are in favour of legalised assisted suicide.

Concerns have been raised over the assisted suicide bill over the fact that legalised assisted suicide puts vulnerable people at risk. 

Last week, Gript reported that over 200 amendments had been proposed to the bill, by medical experts and organisations. Whilst some amendments were proposed to make assisted suicide legislation even more liberal, most amendments were proposed in an effort to curtail some of the harm of the bill. 

However, MPs had decided to scrap the requirement that a high court judge is to approve of assisted suicide cases. According to The Independent, 142 MPS have now indicated that they may vote against the assisted suicide bill in its third reading after the removal of this safeguard.

MP Lee Answerson of Reform spoke to The Independent about the scrapping of this safeguard saying: “I support assisted dying, but this bill becomes less credible by the day. It looks like it’s being forced through at any cost, therefore I fail to see how I can support this bill at third reading.”

The Independent also added that “privately a number of MPs now believe that the provision for sign off by a High Court judge was in fact always a ruse to get this Bill through second reading and the intention was then to dump it at a later stage”.

Currently, a committee is undergoing a line-by-line scrutiny, which is being reported on by Right to Life UK on their X page. According to Right to Life UK a series of amendments that were proposed to ensure vulnerable people are protected have been rejected by the committee. These include protections for those with Autism and Down Syndrome, giving patients a 28-day cooling off period after terminal diagnosis before applying for assisted suicide, one to prevent a doctor from offering assisted suicide when the patient hasn’t asked for it, and even an amendment that would prevent doctors from bringing up assisted suicide to 16 to 17-year-olds. 

Right to Life UK also report that an amendment that would see that people with eating disorders would not be eligible for assisted suicide was also rejected.

Conservative MP, Danny Kruger who has been a leading opponent of the assisted suicide bill reminded the committee that “anorexia is treated as a terminal illness in parts of the NHS today”, whereas the Director of External Affairs of eating disorder charity Beat, Tom Quinn also said “Eating disorders should never be classified as terminal, and this amendment would have added much-needed clarity around the issue”. 

Later last year, Life Institute reported on a woman who featured in Liz Carr’s acclaimed documentary “Better off Dead?”, whose mother was fast-tracked for assisted suicide because she had starved herself, when she was in fact suffering with mental health problems as a result of a minor concussion following a car accident.  

Sandra Parda of the Life Institute commented, saying: “It is deeply shocking and worrying that MPs are continuing to reject safeguards that would ensure that vulnerable people are protected and not pushed towards assisted suicide.”

“It is however very positive to see that many of the MPs who initially voted in favour of assisted suicide are now changing their minds at the removal of safeguards and will instead look to opposing the bill during its next vote. This assisted suicide bill is sending a dangerous message that is proving to be discriminatory towards those with disabilities, and must be defeated.”