The politician who introduced the assisted dying bill has said she is “confident” MPs will push it through to the next stage on Friday.
Speaking at a news conference ahead of a Commons vote, Kim Leadbeater said: “I do feel confident we can get through tomorrow successfully.”
If new amendments are voted through on Friday, the bill to give some terminally ill adults the right to end their lives will get closer to becoming law as it will go through to the next stage in the House of Lords.
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Ms Leadbeater, who introduced the bill in October last year, said if MPs do not vote it through on Friday, “it could be another decade before this issue is brought back to parliament”.
But she said there was a “good majority” who voted for the bill at the last major vote, the second reading in November, when MPs voted it through by 330 to 275.
“There might be some small movement in the middle, some people might change their mind or will change their mind the other way,” she said.
“But fundamentally, I do not anticipate that that majority would be heavily eroded.”
A new YouGov poll found 72% of Britons supported the bill as it stands, including 59% of those who say they support assisted dying in principle but oppose it in practice, and 67% were opposed to the principle of euthanasia but are willing to back it in practice.
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How will the Assisted Dying Bill work?
Criticism by doctors
The Labour MP was joined by bereaved and terminally ill people at Thursday’s news conference as she made her case for a change in the law.
The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist.
Recently, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Royal College of Pathologists and the Royal College of Physicians have raised concerns about the bill.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists said the bill, in its current form, did “not meet the needs of patients”.
It has also expressed concern over the shortage of qualified psychiatrists to take part in assisted dying panels.
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People in favour of assisted dying demonstrate in Parliament Square. Pic: PA
But Ms Leadbeater said doctors and psychiatrists have their individual views on assisted dying and royal colleges have, over the years, been neutral because of that.
“My door is open, so if they have got concerns, they can come and speak to me about those concerns,” she said.
“But what I would say is they were very keen that there was psychiatric involvement in the process, and that’s why I included it. And I do think that’s important.”
People opposed to assisted dying demonstrate in Parliament Square. Pic: PA
On Friday, MPs will vote on a number of amendments proposed by Ms Leadbeater after months of discussions with the assisted dying committee, made up of MPs both for and against the bill.
At the start of the session they will vote on a person not being eligible for assisted dying if their wish to end their life was substantially motivated by factors such as not wanting to be a burden, a mental disorder, a disability, financial considerations, a lack of access to care, or suicidal ideation.
The Speaker has indicated he will also choose these amendments for MPs to vote on:
• Supported by Ms Leadbeater – Requiring the government to publish an assessment of palliative and end-of-life care within a year of the bill passing
• Supported by Ms Leadbeater – A person cannot be considered terminally ill solely because they voluntarily stopped eating or drinking
• Not supported by Ms Leadbeater – Disapply the presumption a person has capacity unless the opposite is established
• Not supported by Ms Leadbeater – Prevent section 1 of the NHS Act 2006, which sets out the NHS’ purpose, from being amended by regulations.
