\n<\/p>\n
Labour MP Lauren Edwards,<\/strong> the bill\u2019s sponsor, is the first to speak.<\/p>\n She has criticised the House of Lords for what she said was the obstruction of the assisted dying bill in the previous parliamentary session.<\/p>\n \u201cMany members would no doubt prefer to be working in their constituencies today. They are not, because a small number of peers in the other place chose to prevent any votes taking place on the substance of that bill,\u201d<\/strong> she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat decision means that one of the most significant national conversations that we have been having as legislators was brought to an abrupt halt. And who suffers detriment as a result? Clearly, the terminally ill and their families, who had a fair assumption that the will of the people they elected to represent them in this chamber would be respected.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.45 EDT<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Edwards said there was an opportunity to both improve palliative care and support assisted dying \u201cto create a holistic, end-of-life care system that will deliver choice and dignity\u201d.<\/p>\n double quotation markI think it\u2019s absolutely right that, for instance, the prime minister and the government have said that improving palliative care must be a priority for him and his government. I think that\u2019s something that we can all support.<\/p>\n I think everybody should have access to good quality palliative and hospice end-of-life care at their final moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.04 EDT<\/p>\n Edwards said the bill being debated \u201cis not quite the exact same bill\u201d previously introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, adding: \u201cIt does incorporate two amendments that were agreed without a vote in the House of Lords last time.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.51 EDT<\/p>\n Labour MP Lauren Edwards,<\/strong> the bill\u2019s sponsor, is the first to speak.<\/p>\n She has criticised the House of Lords for what she said was the obstruction of the assisted dying bill in the previous parliamentary session.<\/p>\n \u201cMany members would no doubt prefer to be working in their constituencies today. They are not, because a small number of peers in the other place chose to prevent any votes taking place on the substance of that bill,\u201d<\/strong> she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat decision means that one of the most significant national conversations that we have been having as legislators was brought to an abrupt halt. And who suffers detriment as a result? Clearly, the terminally ill and their families, who had a fair assumption that the will of the people they elected to represent them in this chamber would be respected.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.45 EDT<\/p>\n Here is a photo on the newswires showing supporters of the assisted dying bill demonstrating outside parliament this morning ahead of the Commons vote:<\/p>\n <\/span>A campaigner for a change in the law on assisted dying holds a placard outside parliament.<\/span> Photograph: Henry Nicholls\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/p>\n The Commons debate on the assisted dying bill will begin shortly, you can watch the livestream here:<\/p>\n <\/span>MPs debate on legalising assisted dying in England and Wales \u2013 watch live<\/span>Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.32 EDT<\/p>\n Transport secretary Heidi Alexander<\/strong> is on the media round this morning for Labour. Commenting on the assisted dying bill, she said she expected a \u201cvery fulsome debate\u201d in the Commons today.<\/p>\n When asked by Sky News whether she believed MPs would vote the bill through, she said: \u201cI don\u2019t have a crystal ball, the government is neutral.<\/p>\n \u201cThe prime minister has been very clear that this is a matter of conscience.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s right that the government has said whatever the will of parliament is, the government will respect it. And so I think that there will be a very fulsome debate in the House of Commons.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Also today, the Green party will announce its Holborn and St Pancras candidate<\/strong> this morning, with leader Zack Polanksi<\/strong> tipped to have won last night\u2019s vote by local party members. He was up against local councillor Hamza Chowdhury for the nomination. We\u2019ll bring you the outcome as soon as it is announced.<\/p>\n <\/span>Green party leader Zack Polanski doorknocking in Holborn and St Pancras hoping to be the constituency’s MP at the forthcoming byelection.<\/span> Photograph: Andy Hall\/The GuardianShare<\/p>\n Raphael Boyd<\/span><\/p>\n Esther Rantzen has said she is no longer able to travel to Switzerland to end her life because she has become \u201ctoo physically fragile\u201d.<\/p>\n Rantzen, who presented the TV current affairs programme That\u2019s Life! for 21 years and founded the youth support charity Childline, had intended to end her life in a Dignitas assisted dying clinic in Switzerland after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2023.<\/p>\n <\/span>Esther Rantzen had intended to end her life in Swiss clinic after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2023.<\/span> Photograph: Cheese Scientist\/Alamy<\/p>\n The broadcaster, 86, said in a statement on Thursday that her quality of life had deteriorated since her diagnosis, and that she was ready to end her life but was no longer able to make the journey despite having joined Dignitas about a year after learning she was terminally ill.<\/p>\n Rantzen said: \u201cUnfortunately, when I was strong enough to make the flight and go to Dignitas, my life was not unbearably painful, indeed, I was able to relax in my beloved cottage in the New Forest.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd by the time life did become unbearable, I was too physically fragile to make the journey and go through the Dignitas process.<\/p>\n \u201cSo even though I had spent the money and made the plans, I was not ready to end my life back then, and did not realise that would be my last chance.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more:<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Morning, and welcome to our UK politics blog. The assisted dying bill is back in the Commons today,<\/strong> where MPs will vote on a proposal that would allow adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live to seek medical assistance to end their lives.<\/p>\n MPs had previously voted through the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, brought forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater,<\/strong> in June 2025, but it foundered in the House of Lords earlier this year<\/strong> after opponents tabled more than 1,280 amendments. Prime minister Andy Burnham<\/strong> has confirmed he will not vote,<\/strong> saying he does not want to \u201cunduly influence the debate\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/span>Supporters of assisted dying demonstrate outside parliament in April 2026.<\/span> Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz\/Future Publishing\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The bill has been revived by Labour MP Lauren Edwards<\/strong>, who said there was \u201ca real human cost to the delay in passing this legislation and correcting the injustices and cruelty of the current law\u201d. Two Labour MPs have also warned of \u201cextraordinary risks\u201d if ministers try to force the assisted dying bill<\/strong> using an obscure parliamentary procedure, should it continue to be blocked by the Lords. My colleagues Jessica Elgot<\/strong> <\/strong><\/em>and <\/strong><\/em>Peter Walker <\/strong>have the full report here:<\/p>\n If the bill is voted through, it will then go through further debate and possible amendments before MPs vote on it again at third reading. It would then move to the Lords for scrutiny before returning to the Commons.<\/p>\n If the bill passes, the UK would join European countries such as Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland, as well as Australia, Canada and the US, where it is legal in 13 states.<\/p>\n The Commons debate begins at 9.30am, with a vote scheduled for 2.30pm. We\u2019ll bring you the latest developments throughout the day.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.53 EDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Assisted dying bill sponsor opens debate with criticism of Lords Labour MP Lauren Edwards, the bill\u2019s sponsor, is the first to speak. She has criticised the House of Lords for what she said was the obstruction of the assisted dying bill in the previous parliamentary session. \u201cMany members would no doubt prefer to be working<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[140,142,141,132,414,1321,124,951,139],"class_list":{"0":"post-52203","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-crime-justice","8":"tag-assisted","9":"tag-bill","10":"tag-dying","11":"tag-live","12":"tag-mps","13":"tag-parliament","14":"tag-politics","15":"tag-returns","16":"tag-vote"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=52203"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52203\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/52204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=52203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=52203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=52203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Assisted dying bill sponsor opens debate with criticism of Lords<\/h2>\n
Watch: Commons debate on assisted dying bill<\/h2>\n
Esther Rantzen now \u2018too physically fragile\u2019 to end her life in Switzerland<\/h2>\n
Assisted dying bill returns to the Commons<\/h2>\n