Labour’s Kim Leadbeater to Introduce New Assisted Dying Bill

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On October 3rd, 2024, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater announced plans to introduce a new bill that would allow terminally ill individuals to legally end their own lives. This Private Member's Bill was selected in the ballot earlier this year.

Currently, under the Suicide Act 1961, it is illegal to assist someone in ending their life. Those who violate the law face up to 15 years in prison.

The last major parliamentary debate on euthanasia took place in 2015, during the discussion of Lord Falconer's assisted dying bill. The bill was defeated, with 329 MPs voting against it, 117 voting in favour, and 200 abstaining. However, public opinion on the subject may be shifting; earlier this year, an e-petition supporting assisted dying garnered 200,000 signatures. 

While Leadbeater's bill is still in its early stages, it is expected that it will allow individuals with less than six months to live be permitted to end their lives legally. 

The bill has sparked controversy, with critics warning it could create a "slippery slope." Dr Gordon Macdonald, Chief Executive of the organisation Care Not Killing, labelled the bill as a result of "dangerous and ideological policy." Opponents fear that the eligibility criteria could expand, allowing vulnerable people to end their lives inappropriately. 

Leadbeater refutes this. She argues that the bill is "not about ending people's lives” but “shortening their deaths." 

The bill is set to be formally introduced on October 16th. Once on Parliament's agenda, it will need to pass through multiple stages, including debates and votes in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Given the sensitive nature of the issue, MPs are expected to be given a ‘free’ vote, which would allow them to cast their vote according to personal views rather than along party lines. Whether the bill will eventually become law remains uncertain.