Baroness Butler-Sloss, a senior member of the House of Lords and an opponent of assisted dying, has warned the Lords today that attempts to talk out the Assisted Dying Bill pose a danger to the reputation of the House. This follows a letter from three senior MPs opposed to assisted dying who called on peers not to hold up the progress of the Bill through Parliament, arguing that there was a serious danger of the Lords losing its democratic legitimacy.
Baroness Butler-Sloss said during the debate:
‘I don’t like the Bill, but I am here like other noble Lords to try and make it work. It needs scrutiny, it needs improvement, but we must get it to Third Reading. If we don’t, there is a very real danger that the reputation of the House, which not only I but all your Lordships care about deeply, will be, or possibly will be, irreparably eroded.’
Kim Leadbeater MP, the sponsor of the Bill, told The Today programme this morning that it ‘would be wrong from a democratic perspective when the Commons has voted for it, and there’s huge public support’ if the House of Lords sabotaged the Bill through running down the clock.
Today, peers debated unrealistic and discriminatory proposals around mandatory GP home visits, and a proposal that all applicants, including men, undergo a pregnancy test. Peers have debated 101 of 1,142 amendments. Analysis by Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision has shown that seven of the most vocal opponents to the Bill have put forward over 600 amendments between them. While some of the unworkable amendments have been withdrawn, such as Baroness Coffey’s proposal to ban applicants from going on holiday, amendments continue to be added every day.
The Bill must pass all stages in the Lords and Commons before Spring 2026, or it fails.
Louise Shackleton, who accompanied her husband to Dignitas for an assisted death, said:
‘Today, terminally ill people and those bereaved by awful deaths were dismissed as “attack dogs” simply for urging the Lords to scrutinise, not block, the Assisted Dying Bill. The Lords select committee refused to hear from terminally ill people, and too many peers forget who this Bill is for. My message to the House of Lords is clear: we will not be silenced, our voices matter, and legalising assisted dying would give compassion and choice to people who currently have neither.’
Dave Sowry, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:
‘It was Groundhog day, yet again, in the House of Lords today. Despite an ever-growing chorus of pleas to peers to stop putting barriers in the way of those seeking a compassionate death, the same very small group of peers ignored these pleas. It’s obvious that the concerted effort to block its progress by these peers, who are all against the Bill as a matter of principle, continues.’
‘They ignore the perspective of those the Bill is designed for, people at the end of their lives. Its aim is to improve the quality of those last weeks, and having accompanied my wife to Dignitas for an assisted death, I know how precious those weeks are.
‘The process must be as simple as possible for the vast majority of straightforward cases, whilst being robust and safe for the remaining tiny minority of complex cases. This small group of peers must not be allowed to undermine the will of Parliament and the hopes and wishes of the public.’
Notes
Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request
For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033. (media only)
Media can use the following press images and videos, as long as they are attributed to “My Death, My Decision”.
My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.
