Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has announced she will vote against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill when it returns to the House of Commons this week. Despite personally supporting the principle of assisted dying, Badenoch stated she will oppose the legislation due to what she described as its "fatal flaws" and concerns about the potential for parliamentary procedures to override full scrutiny.
The Bill, reintroduced by Labour MP Lauren Edwards, aims to allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live to apply for an assisted death. It previously passed two votes in the Commons during the last parliamentary session but did not complete its passage through the House of Lords, where debate was cut short.
Badenoch, who voted against the Bill twice previously, elaborated on her stance in an article, writing that while she understands the desire to end suffering, legislators must evaluate laws based on their functionality, not just emotional responses. She expressed doubt that the proposed system would guarantee a safe delivery of assisted dying, a position she says has been strengthened since her initial opposition.
Furthermore, Badenoch raised concerns about the potential use of the Parliament Acts to bypass the House of Lords. She argued that this approach would move beyond individual conscience to a constitutional issue, potentially overriding serious concerns raised during legislative scrutiny.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, has also urged the Commons to block the Bill. In a separate article, Mullally warned that involving medical professionals in ending patients' lives would send a message that some lives are deemed not worth living, and that the National Health Service would be instrumental in this process.
Previous attempts to pass similar legislation have seen success in the Commons, with the Bill passing its Third Reading by a majority of 23 votes last year. However, some MPs who previously supported the Bill have since left Parliament, and others have indicated they would not support using the Parliament Acts to force its passage. Andy Burnham has suggested a greater immediate need to improve palliative and social care.
Edwards, meanwhile, contends that assisted dying has long been supported by a substantial majority of the public and stated her intention to ask MPs to send the Bill back to the Lords for potential amendment, arguing that the elected chamber should not be frustrated a second time.