MPs asked not to “get bogged down” in Bill’s assisted dying process

Commons leader Lucy Powell has urged MPs not to “get bogged down” in the process of the assisted dying law.

The Government will push to make Labor MP Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill “workable” if it gets second reading, Ms Powell told the Commons.

Earlier during business questions, shadow community leader Jesse Norman accused the government of trying to force the bill through by proxy.

Parliamentarians will have the opportunity to debate and vote on the proposed law on Friday.

Responding to a question from Labor MP Anna Dixon, Ms Powell said: “If the Bill passes second reading, the Government will work with the (amendment) sponsoring members to ensure that this Bill is workable and implementable .

“And it will be implemented, should the House wish to do so … that work will begin in earnest following the second reading debate. If it didn’t go to the second reading, that work wouldn’t happen at all.

“So that’s what I think MPs should consider when considering the principles of this bill and not get too bogged down in one part of the process.”

Ms Dixon, MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire, is co-sponsoring a reasoned amendment to the bill calling for an independent review and public consultation before it returns to the House for further debate.

Speaking from the Conservative front bench, Mr Norman accused the government of going about the bill “the wrong way”.

He told MPs: “Personally, I feel very strongly pulled both ways, on both sides, on the issue of assisted dying. But of one thing no one can be in any doubt: that the Government has no business trying to rush this legislation through this Parliament by proxy.

“The text of the bill was published just two weeks before we vote tomorrow. No impact assessment and analysis of legal issues has been published.

“Far from public debate preceding legislation, legislation preceded debate. This is completely wrong.”

Ms Powell replied: “I think it is with some regret that (Mr Norman) has chosen this opportunity today to address these matters in such a political – unnecessarily political – manner.

“This is an issue that generates very emotional responses from both sides, and I hope that the conversations we have tomorrow and the debate we have tomorrow can be conducted in a respectful, thoughtful, nonpartisan, nonpolitical manner. “