MPs who backed assisted dying Bill say they could change stance

Some MPs who backed the assisted dying Bill have indicated they could consider changing their mind along the process amid concerns over palliative care provision and safeguarding.

MPs will be able to suggest amendments to the legislation when it moves into its next parliamentary step, the committee stage, at a date which is yet to be announced.

On Friday, MPs voted 330 to 275, majority 55, to approve Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at second reading.

Concerns

Following the historic vote, some MPs have voiced concerns over parts of the Bill that could prevent them opting in its favour at later stages of the process.

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran told the BBC on Saturday that whilst she voted for it, concerns surrounding existing palliative care provision in the UK remained.

“I think all of us want this to be a good Bill,” she said.

“I would hope that colleagues across the House, especially those who voted for it, reserve the right to vote no at further stages.”

She said that arguments against the plans need to be taken “extraordinarily seriously”.

Ms Moran said that “the one that I am particularly interested in is palliative care”, and added: “I don’t think we need any further votes in the House to be clear that Parliament’s will is that Government wants them to sort out palliative care.”

It was reported by the Sunday Times that a commission on palliative care was due to be set up in the wake of the vote. The issue was raised by MPs across the House during Friday’s debate.

Scrutinise

Senior Conservative MP Sir David Davis – another backer of the Bill – used his Commons speech to ask the Government for more time to scrutinise it, to “give us the time to get this right”.

He told the Commons: “I want this Bill to succeed, it’s more important than most bills we have. It can’t be dealt with in five hours and a few hours in committee.

“I’m going to vote for it today, but I want the Government to help me be able to vote for a good Bill at the end of this.”

Labour MP Chris Webb suggested that his position on the matter may change as the plans move through the process, saying in a statement that he believes “this Bill deserved to progress to the next stage for further robust scrutiny and debate” and he “will consider my position again in the ensuing stages”.

There were three Conservative MPs and 18 Labour MPs for whom no vote was recorded on Friday.

SNP MPs did not vote as the matter only applied to England and Wales.

There are numerous reasons that an MP may not be able to take part in a vote – such as being abroad or away from Parliament – however, a number have indicated that they intentionally abstained.

Josh Fenton-Glynn, the new Labour MP for Calder Valley, said that he had abstained because “as it stands, I don’t think the safeguards are strong enough”.

Despite having previously thought that he would “support a Bill like this” he said in a statement on social media he would make his “final decision based on the Bill as it’s written that comes out of the committee stage”.

Palliative Care

End-of-life care charity Marie Curie had also raised concerns about palliative care and has called for MPs to enshrine a commitment for developing a strategy on the matter into the legislation.

They said in a briefing sent to parliamentarians before the second reading that they want an amendment to the legislation that would impose a duty on ministers to develop a strategy to improve palliative and end-of-life care.

The charity’s chief executive, Matthew Reed, said that the organisation is “neutral” on the subject of assisted dying, “but what we are absolutely not neutral on is the need to urgently fix end-of-life care”.

In a statement after the vote, Mr Reed said: “Warm words won’t fix our broken end-of-life care system. The Bill says nothing about the urgent need to improve existing provision. It says nothing about the postcode lottery for access to end-of-life care, nothing about the funding crisis, and nothing about people spending their final moments in A&E because our health system can’t offer them the care and support they need, in or out of hours.”

On Saturday, Mother of the House Diane Abbott had said that she was “worried that vulnerable people will get swept up in the assisted dying route”.

Ms Abbott was one of the 275 MPs who voted against the plans in Parliament.

Asked why, the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I am very worried that vulnerable people will get swept up in the assisted dying route, when actually what they really need is access to hospice care and proper end-of-life care.”

She said that she has “every sympathy” for other positions, but wants people to “not see supported suicide as the only option” if they have concerns such as being a “burden” or worries about the family finances.