BuDS Disability Service has welcomed the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham’s decision to allow Ministers and Labour backbenchers to vote according to their conscience on Lauren Edwards’ Assisted Suicide Bill. This is the ‘kiss of death’ for this Bill.
Background
In 2024, Kim Leadbeater MP introduced an Assisted Suicide Bill (the “Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill”) into Parliament. This Bill was largely drafted by the campaign group Dignity in Dying, the former British Euthanasia Society. Kim Leadbeater’s Bill was passed by the House of Commons, but failed to make progress in the House of Lords and fell at the end of the Parliamentary Session earlier this year.
Kier Starmer, the Prime Minister at the time of Kim Leadbeater’s Bill, informally ‘whipped’ or instructed Ministers to support her Bill. He also made it very clear to Labour backbenchers that he expected them to vote for the Bill, a so-called “loyalty test”. Despite this very strong lead from the then-Prime Minister, Kim Leadbeater’s Bill only passed the Commons by 12 votes, with only a minority of MPs voting. Parliamentary experts think that Kier Starmer’s influence was the main reason why the Commons voted for Kim Leadbeater’s Bill.
Lauren Edwards MP has introduced a Bill identical to Kim Leadbeater’s. This Bill has its first Parliamentary vote on 11 September 2026. Lauren Edwards has said that if the Commons passes this identical Bill, she will try to invoke the Parliament Acts to prevent the House of Lords from stopping it becoming law.
Andy Burnham’s Decision
Andy Burnham has taken a completely different approach to Kier Starmer. Rather than trying to force Ministers and Labour MPs to support the Assisted Suicide Bill, he is allowing them to decide for themselves how to vote. BuDS very much welcomes Burnham’s rejection of the covert whipping and influencing that took place under Kier Starmer. Burnham has given Ministers and Labour backbenchers the freedom to reject the Assisted Suicide Bill, as many of them would have done previously had they had that option.
Politics Aside…
Leaving aside the politics and Westminster intrigues, the plain fact is that Lauren Edwards’ Assisted Suicide Bill is badly drafted and dangerous for disabled people, whom BuDS represents. It should not proceed through Parliament because it is a bad Bill, opposed by every single medical organisation, by lawyers, and every single disabled-led organisation in the UK. We repeat our call to MPs of all parties to back disabled people and vote against Lauren Edwards’ Bill on 11 September.
As a community of disabled people, BuDS has always called for a proper national conversation about assisted dying, and its relationship to medically-assisted suicide, before any legislation is tabled. It is an extraordinarily complex and emotive issue needing mature and well-informed consideration. There are many points of views and expert opinions which need to be sensibly balanced.
BuDS feels that a neutral commission or enquiry needs to lead this national conversation and to draft any legislation which, after proper consideration, is found necessary. A Government Bill can then be professionally and competently drafted to implement a scheme which can command the support of key stakeholders and which, as a result, can pass more smoothly through both Houses. Other European countries who have introduced assisted dying schemes have all followed this model, with consultation and implementation timetables ranging from 4 to 12 years.
The national interest, the interests of disabled people, and Parliament’s interests are not served by rushing an unfit lobbyist Bill into law against the united opposition of all those who would have to make it work, and those it would most affect.
Post image copyright Reuters/BBC News