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

More than 100 Labour MPs call on Starmer to intervene as Lords stall assisted dying law

Over 150 members of Parliament, including representatives from multiple parties, have joined Labour MPs in urging Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to take decisive action against the House of Lords’ efforts to obstruct the assisted dying legislation. The letter, coordinated by Labour MP Peter Prinsley, highlights concerns that procedural maneuvers are being used to delay the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

As of now, only half of the 1,200 proposed amendments to the bill have been discussed following 11 days of debate in the Lords. This has raised alarms among supporters, who fear the legislation might not secure approval before the current parliamentary session concludes.

If the bill is defeated, it could revert to a Private Members’ Bill status, prompting calls for the Prime Minister to step in and ensure a final decision is reached. The letter emphasizes that while the government maintains neutrality on the principle of assisted dying, the elected House of Commons should have the final say on such a critical issue.

“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,” the joint letter stated. “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.”

Introduced to Parliament as a Private Members’ Bill, the legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live to request an assisted death, provided two doctors approve and a panel of experts, including a social worker and psychiatrist, reviews the case. However, progress has been slow in the Lords, with amendments focused on enhancing safeguards for young people and preventing ‘death tourism’ under discussion.

Opponents have been criticized for attempting to dilute the bill’s impact through prolonged debate. Lord Falconer, a Labour former minister and the bill’s sponsor in the House of Lords, warned that inaction could render the upper chamber an ‘irrelevant talking shop.’ He also pledged to use a parliamentary override if time runs out for a resolution this session.

Karl Turner, a Labour MP who initially backed the bill before withdrawing support, declared the legislation ‘not fit for purpose’ and argued it ‘needs to fail.’ Ashley Dalton, another Labour MP who resigned from government while undergoing breast cancer treatment, echoed this sentiment, stating: ‘The assisted dying debate has been called Parliament at its best; it’s the opposite. It’s for Parliament to make good law. It’s not about broad principles; it’s about detail.’