Peers told not to sabotage assisted dying Bill with ‘unnecessary’ amendments

The MP behind the assisted dying Bill has criticised “totally unnecessary” amendments that could hold up a change of the law before the final debate of the year on the controversial draft legislation.

Kim Leadbeater said there was a real possibility the Bill was being sabotaged by peers who oppose the idea.

The House of Lords has been accused of time-wasting, having tabled more than 1,000 amendments to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

But many have rejected such accusations, insisting they are doing their job of scrutinising an important potential change to the law.

Ms Leadbeater, who introduced the Bill in the Commons last year, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What we’re seeing with this Bill, sadly, is well over 1,000 amendments have been tabled, many of which are totally unnecessary and some of which are actually just very cruel.

“It’s looking increasingly like people who are fundamentally opposed to a change in the law, a view which I respect, (are) trying to prevent the law passing.”

The MP said unnecessary amendments included one which said the dying person should not have left the country within the last 12 months, and another which said the death should be filmed.

“That just seems incredibly intrusive and heartless to be quite honest with you,” she said.

“We are elected Members of Parliament. The House of Lords is not elected, and I am worried about the damage of the reputation to the Lords based on this behaviour,” she added.

Asked if there was a possibility that scrutiny was becoming sabotage, she said: “I think, sadly, it is.”

But defending the Lords, Crossbench peer Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson said members were interrogating the Bill “line by line” and filling “massive gaps” to put safeguards in.

Peers will gather on Friday for the last committee session of the year, before further sessions allocated from January amid concerns the Bill could run out of time to be passed into law.

The Bill will become law only if both the House of Commons and House of Lords agree on the final drafting of the legislation – with approval needed before spring when the current session of Parliament ends.

If passed, it would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist.

After passing its initial stages in the Commons, it has been slow to progress through the Lords as changes such as potentially stronger assessments for young people seeking an assisted death and further safeguards to prevent so-called “death tourism” have been debated.

Assisted dying campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, who has repeatedly urged members of the Lords not to block the landmark legislation, has warned that “scrutiny must not tip into sabotage”.