Assisted dying has been thrown into doubt after Kim Leadbetter, its Labour MP sponsor, agreed to postpone implementing the law until 2029, after the next election. The Telegraph has more.
Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the Bill, has proposed delaying the introduction of assisted dying in England and Wales for two years until 2029.
The revised timeline raises the prospect that a new government could abandon plans to establish an assisted dying regime following warnings that the law would overburden the NHS and judiciary.
Ms Leadbeater is thought to have climbed down after civil servants responsible for drafting amendments told her the Bill was unworkable.
This work with the Government has already seen the Spen Valley MP significantly water down her proposals in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Moves such as removing the requirement for every case to be signed off by a High Court judge have triggered anger among MPs, making the law less likely to be voted through.
The Assisted Dying Bill Committee finished scrutinising the draft legislation in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Ms Leadbeater’s proposal to delay the roll out in England was accepted, despite warnings that the next government could “quickly abandon” reforms.
Liberal Democrat Tom Gordon cautioned the postponement could be fatal, saying: “We also know that no Parliament can bind the next – and that the legislation that’s been passed but not enacted and put in place could be quickly abandoned.”
In Wales, the future of assisted dying looks even more uncertain. In a surprising move, MPs on the Bill committee voted 12 to 11 in favour of Sarah Olney MP’s amendment to require Senedd approval before any changes take effect in Wales.
Last October, Senedd members rejected a motion calling for a law change. Ms Olney said: “We should respect that choice and not impose it on them, in whole or in part, without their consent.”
On Tuesday, Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary – who opposes assisted dying and has warned of its impact on the NHS – said Ms Leadbeater had backed down after Ministers told her the law could not be delivered in two years.
Speaking at a Guardian event, he said he wanted to pay tribute to the MP for her leadership on the issue.
“It would have been really easy for her to say ‘hang on a minute, four years, that’s twice as long as two years, and will this ever happen’,” he said. “Instead what she’s done is work constructively with ministers, listened to the arguments about how long it would take to implement, and she’s shown willingness to compromise.”
However, a spokesman for Ms Leadbeater insisted that assisted dying could still happen and said 2029 was a “backstop”.
He claimed the Bill contained “even stronger safeguards” than when it was first tabled but admitted they would “inevitably take longer to implement”.
He added: “But the four-year limit is not a target, it’s a backstop. Kim hopes and believes the service can be delivered more quickly if it becomes law later this year.”
The controversial Bill passed by 55 votes in November, splitting Parliament, with 330 MPs backing it and 275 opposed.
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