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

MPs urge intervention as Lords delay progress on end-of-life bill

Over 100 Labour MPs have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to take decisive action against the House of Lords’ efforts to stall the assisted dying legislation. The group argues that peers in the upper chamber are employing procedural strategies to hinder the progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Only half of the 1,200 amendments proposed for debate have been addressed after 11 days of scrutiny in the Lords. This has raised concerns among advocates that the bill may not receive final approval before the end of the current parliamentary session. If this occurs, the legislation—originally introduced as a Private Members’ Bill—could be defeated, prompting calls for the Prime Minister’s involvement.

A coalition of over 150 MPs, including cross-party members from the Tories, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Plaid Cymru, and Reform UK, signed a private letter to Sir Keir. The message asks him to ensure Parliament has time to make a decision on the issue in the next session. The letter emphasizes that while the government maintains neutrality on the law’s principle, the elected House of Commons should ultimately decide the matter.

“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.”

“Our constituents, in every part of the country, strongly support a change in the law and it is clear to us that the issue must be resolved sooner rather than later.”

Bill’s key provisions and Lords’ deliberations

If enacted, the bill would permit terminally ill adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live to request an assisted death. The process requires approval from two doctors and a panel including a social worker, legal expert, and psychiatrist.

Despite passing its initial stages in the Commons, the bill has faced slow progress in the Lords as debates continue over potential adjustments. Proposed changes include stricter assessments for young individuals seeking assisted death and measures to address ‘death tourism.’ Opponents are accused of attempting to delay the bill through procedural delays.

Supporters push for resolution amid criticism

Labour’s Lord Falconer, who sponsored the bill in the Lords, warned that the upper chamber risks being viewed as an ‘irrelevant talking shop’ if it fails to advance the legislation. He pledged to use a rare parliamentary mechanism to override peer objections, ensuring the bill moves forward.

“That’s the truth. And that’s why it needs to fail.”

Fellow Labour MP Karl Turner, who initially supported the bill but later withdrew his backing, stated the law is ‘not fit for purpose.’ He argued that the bill remains flawed and unable to adequately safeguard vulnerable individuals. Ashley Dalton, a former government minister now receiving breast cancer treatment, echoed this sentiment, calling the current process ‘the opposite of Parliament at its best.’

She emphasized that the focus should be on refining the law’s details rather than broad principles, noting that most amendments aimed at strengthening the bill have been rejected.