Assisted dying legislation is set to be considered again in the United Kingdom Parliament after a Member of Parliament announced she would bring it back to the House of Commons. Lauren Edwards, who came second in the ballot for private members' bills, said she will reintroduce the terminally ill adults end of life bill. The announcement revives a debate that had appeared to stall earlier in the year, and it places one of the most contentious social questions back at the centre of the parliamentary agenda.
After running out of time in the House of Lords earlier this year, the bill is expected to be back in the Commons within a matter of days. It is due to be reintroduced on Wednesday, with the first votes likely to take place in September. That timetable means the legislation will move relatively quickly back into formal debate, giving both supporters and opponents a fresh opportunity to set out their positions before any vote is held.
The route back for the bill runs through the private members' bill ballot, a system that works in effect as a lottery. Backbench MPs apply to secure priority time in the Commons so that their proposed laws can be debated and potentially voted on. Having come second in that ballot, Lauren Edwards decided to use her place to bring the assisted dying bill back rather than choosing a different measure, a decision that effectively guarantees the issue another hearing.
Edwards has written a letter setting out her reasoning, framing her decision around democratic principles. The first version of the legislation was passed by the Commons, with MPs voting it through, but it then fell in the House of Lords. Supporters of the bill argue that peers used delaying tactics, talking it out and tabling amendments in a way that meant it would not get through, and they see the reintroduction as a way of honouring the will of the elected chamber.
Opposition to the measure remains firm. Critics of the bill argue that it did not contain enough safeguards to protect vulnerable people, a concern that has shadowed the legislation throughout its passage. Others are already questioning whether this is the right priority for parliamentary time, pointing to the many other pressing issues facing the government, including the cost of living and foreign affairs, and noting that the move comes during an unsteady period for the leadership of the governing party.
What has changed since the last attempt is the strength of support in the elected chamber, where there is a large and stable majority for the bill. That matters because, under the Parliament Act, legislation can be passed if it is introduced in successive sessions, meaning that even if the House of Lords delays the bill again as it did before, it could still become law. Whether the bill makes it through the Commons for a second time, however, remains to be seen as the new debate begins.