Image – Wikimedia Commons: Lauren Edwards MP
It was announced late last night (14 June) that Lauren Edwards, the Labour MP for Rochester and Strood, has decided to use her number two spot in the private members bill ballot to reintroduce the Leadbeater assisted suicide bill.
The second reading is expected to take place on 11 September 2026.
Background to the Bill
On 29th November 2024, MPs voted by 330 to 275 to give Kim Leadbeater MP’s the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill a second reading.
The Bill was then examined by a Committee of MPs, where it was substantially amended, before being debated at Report stage by all MPs. On 20 June, MPs voted by 314 to 291 to pass Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide bill to the House of Lords, by a reduced majority of 23.
It then passed to the House of Lords, where it underwent extensive scrutiny, revealing its myriad flaws. It failed to pass through all its parliamentary stages before the end of the session, and fell.
What Happens Now?
Lauren Edwards MP, who came second in the parliamentary ballot to introduce a private members bill, has announced that she will use her slot to reintroduce Kim Leadbeater’s failed bill. Pushing forward with an identical bill, without amendments, would make it possible to invoke the Parliament Acts, and pass it without the consent of the House of Lords.
Alithea Williams, SPUC’s Public Policy Manager, said: “It’s incredibly disappointing that this MP is choosing to bring back this dangerous and divisive bill. That Ms Edwards is taking forward an identical bill – that not a single royal college, medical body or disability organisation could support – shows the extreme arrogance of the assisted suicide lobby. Instead of addressing any of the myriad concerns raised, they are opting to try to steamroller it through.”
“This also shows how desperate they are,” Ms Williams continued. “Support has drained away, and the last thing the Labour party needs during a leadership crisis is a bill that was tearing the party in half only a few months ago. This is disappointing news, but I am convinced that the assisted suicide lobby have overplayed their hand. Only extremists wanted to bring this bill back now. This is a chance to definitively defeat this dreadful bill – a chance we must take.”
She asked SPUC supporters to contact their MPs right away: details can be found on the campaign page.
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