Kim Leadbeater has come under fire after delaying the next stage of her assisted suicide Bill by three weeks, leading to accusations that the Bill is “shrouded in chaos” and concerns that it is unfit for purpose.
Leadbeater wrote to all 650 MPs saying the next stage of the debate, Report Stage, will now take place on 16 May rather than 25 April. On 2 April, she had rejected calls to delay the vote, with Labour backbenchers concerned voters would be put off by “heated and acrimonious” disagreement between Labour MPs so close to local elections on 1 May. A week later, Leadbeater changed her mind, announcing the delay the day before the start of Easter recess.
“This Bill continues to be shrouded in chaos”
The letter from the Bill sponsor has led to accusations that the Bill is “shrouded in chaos” and disorganised. Conservative MP John Lamont said “This Bill continues to be shrouded in chaos. It’s becoming beyond a joke”.
“Last week, I thought the decisive vote would be later this month. It’s now looking like it will be well into June”.
Explaining the reasons for the delay, Leadbeater wrote in her letter “it is now sensible to allow all MPs a few more weeks for their own consideration”, but critics were quick to point out that, during Committee Stage, Leadbeater pushed for sessions to continue until late. At the time, her team explained that the late sessions were necessary in order to be complete by the initial deadline of 25 April.
Dr Rajiv Shah, a former Government advisor, condemned the change as “chaos”, posting on X “Kim Leadbeater pushed for the Committee to sit well into the evening (8pm, 10pm and even past midnight) rather than allow additional days. This was all done because of the need to meet the 25th April deadline. In the end she wasn’t ready for it. Chaos”.
Yuan Yi Zhu, an Assistant Professor of International Relations and International Law at Leiden University, also criticised Leadbeater’s lack of preparation, posting on X “So after rushing the committee stage through in a series of marathon punishment sittings, Kim Leadbeater has to postpone the next Commons vote because… she isn’t actually ready”.
Politics Home has reported that Leadbeater’s allies had been canvassing MPs ahead of yesterday’s announcement, going from office to office in Parliament to find out whether MPs would support her Bill. It is possible that it became clear that she may not currently have the numbers to win the vote at Third Reading and decided to push Report Stage to a later date in order to buy herself more time to lobby MPs.
Further blows to “chaotic” Bill
In a further blow to the Bill, reports have emerged of delays to an impact assessment, which was called for during Committee Stage. In February, Naz Shah raised the issue more than once, asking how any of the aspects of this Bill can be settled when there has been no impact assessment and no consultation on this Bill. “I struggle to understand how the Minister and the Government can say that this is a settled position without having gone to consultation on the Bill and without having an impact assessment”.
Initially due on Thursday 10 April, it is now set to be published next week.
Nikki da Costa, former Director of Legislative Affairs at 10 Downing Street, speculated about the reasons for the delay, including the impact assessment. She wrote on X that it “[a]ll feels very chaotic. Labour MPs pleaded for it not to be before local elections but were ignored. Now it’s devolution and impact assessment issue that’s gotten in the way. Had heard latter was imminent. Has it been written and pulled? Or is it genuinely delayed?”.
Criticism of leadership during assisted suicide Bill’s passage
John Lamont MP and Dr Rajiv Shah are not the first to heavily criticise Leadbeater for her leadership during the Bill’s passage. After the removal of the Bill’s flagship High Court safeguard, a group of ten Labour MPs slammed the “chaotic” way the process has been handled, stating “Every MP voted at second reading with a promise of High Court scrutiny of each application for assisted dying. Supporters of the bill insisted that it was a key part of the protections for vulnerable and marginalised people”.
“Yet despite repeated assurances until just days ago the proponents of the Bill have changed their argument – and fundamentally changed the Bill. All MPs have an important job to do to make sure that the assisted dying bill is fit for purpose. Yet the process feels chaotic, with the Bill changing significantly from what was presented to Parliament at second reading”.
Naz Shah also blamed Leadbeater for failing to listen and for making “changes” that “weakened” the Bill, commenting “When there’s this narrative of ‘we have listened,’ no: that’s not true. The evidence is there in black and white. The biggest changes to the bill… all of these big-ticket items – the ones that have weakened it, in my opinion – have come from the bill sponsor”.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “Leadbeater’s latest change has revealed yet more uncertainty and underlines that her dangerous Bill is indeed ‘shrouded in chaos’”.
“With the Bill lacking many basic safeguards, MPs must be aware of its acute dangers and vote it down. Legalising assisted suicide would be disastrous, putting tens of thousands of lives, especially among those who are vulnerable, at risk in the years to come”.
