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Progress on UK assisted dying law slows after legislative clashes
More than 50 House of Lords members rejected the bill citing inadequate safeguards against coercion and vulnerability, despite 80% public support, campaigners said.
- On Friday, members of the House of Lords signaled the assisted dying proposal will fail, blocking the bill that the House of Commons passed 314-291 nine months ago.
- Labour Party lawmaker Kim Leadbeater, who sponsored the bill, told Reuters the unelected upper house overstepped its role of "refining" legislation. She defended the plan's safeguards, including signoff from two doctors and psychiatric experts.
- More than 50 members of the House of Lords cited concerns the bill fails to protect vulnerable people from coercion. Gordon Macdonald, CEO of Care not Killing, argued "one in four people don't get their palliative care needs met."
- Cancer sufferer Suzie Jee, 80, appealed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying "We desperately need this law, so please do something." She felt betrayed after previously hoping to "slip away" legally.
- Although polls show around 80% of Britons support assisted dying, the bill's future remains uncertain. Campaigners hope another lawmaker will secure parliamentary time or that officials invoke the rarely used Parliament Act to advance the proposal.
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12 Articles
British plan to legalise assisted dying falters in parliamentary tug-of-war
Eighty-year-old Suzie Jee was elated when Britain's lower house of parliament voted to legalise assisted dying nine months ago. Suffering from incurable bone cancer, she believed that at some point she would be able to make a decision to "slip away".
·United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left0Leaning Right5Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Right
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources lean Right
56% Right
C 44%
R 56%
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