Baroness Butler-Sloss, a senior member of the House of Lords and an opponent of assisted dying, has warned the Lords today that attempts to talk out the Assisted Dying Bill pose a danger to the reputation of the House. This follows a letter from three senior MPs opposed to assisted dying who called on peers not to hold up the progress of the Bill through Parliament, arguing that there was a serious danger of the Lords losing its democratic legitimacy.
Baroness Butler-Sloss said during the debate:
‘I don’t like the Bill, but I am here like other noble Lords to try and make it work. It needs scrutiny, it needs improvement, but we must get it to Third Reading. If we don’t, there is a very real danger that the reputation of the House, which not only I but all your Lordships care about deeply, will be, or possibly will be, irreparably eroded.’
Kim Leadbeater MP, the sponsor of the Bill, told The Today programme this morning that it ‘would be wrong from a democratic perspective when the Commons has voted for it, and there’s huge public support’ if the House of Lords sabotaged the Bill through running down the clock.
Today, peers debated unrealistic and discriminatory proposals around mandatory GP home visits, and a proposal that all applicants, including men, undergo a pregnancy test. Peers have debated 101 of 1,142 amendments. Analysis by Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision has shown that seven of the most vocal opponents to the Bill have put forward over 600 amendments between them. While some of the unworkable amendments have been withdrawn, such as Baroness Coffey’s proposal to ban applicants from going on holiday, amendments continue to be added every day.
The Bill must pass all stages in the Lords and Commons before Spring 2026, or it fails.
Louise Shackleton, who accompanied her husband to Dignitas for an assisted death, said:
‘Today, terminally ill people and those bereaved by awful deaths were dismissed as “attack dogs” simply for urging the Lords to scrutinise, not block, the Assisted Dying Bill. The Lords select committee refused to hear from terminally ill people, and too many peers forget who this Bill is for. My message to the House of Lords is clear: we will not be silenced, our voices matter, and legalising assisted dying would give compassion and choice to people who currently have neither.’
Nathan Stilwell, Assisted Dying Campaigner at Humanists UK, said:
‘When an unelected chamber stalls a bill backed by the elected House of Commons and the public, it does more than delay legislation; it undermines the very principle of representative democracy. This is not scrutiny; it is sabotage disguised as procedure.
‘Every procedural delay, every stalling tactic, traps people in a system that denies them agency and compassion at the moment they need it most. The status quo forces suffering, strips families of dignity, and exports choice to foreign countries. It is not neutral; it is actively harmful. To preserve this system in the name of process is to ignore the real human cost paid by those who cannot afford to wait.’
Dave Sowry, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:
‘It was Groundhog day, yet again, in the House of Lords today. Despite an ever-growing chorus of pleas to peers to stop putting barriers in the way of those seeking a compassionate death, the same very small group of peers ignored these pleas. It’s obvious that the concerted effort to block its progress by these peers, who are all against the Bill as a matter of principle, continues.’
‘They ignore the perspective of those the Bill is designed for, people at the end of their lives. Its aim is to improve the quality of those last weeks, and having accompanied my wife to Dignitas for an assisted death, I know how precious those weeks are.
‘The process must be as simple as possible for the vast majority of straightforward cases, whilst being robust and safe for the remaining tiny minority of complex cases. This small group of peers must not be allowed to undermine the will of Parliament and the hopes and wishes of the public.’
Notes
For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan@humanists.uk or phone 07456 200033. (media only)
Humanists UK is making the following photos available to the media to use – credit to Simona Sermont/Humanists UK – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision have people and their loved ones who would be affected by this change available for the press.
If you have been affected by the current assisted dying legislation, and want to use your story to support a change in the law, please email campaigns@humanists.uk.
Humanists defend the right of each individual to live by their own personal values, and the freedom to make decisions about their own life so long as this does not result in harm to others. Humanists do not share the attitudes to death and dying held by some religious believers, in particular that the manner and time of death are for a deity to decide, and that interference in the course of nature is unacceptable. We firmly uphold the right to life but we recognise that this right carries with it the right of each individual to make their own judgement about whether their life should be prolonged in the face of pointless suffering.
We recognise that any assisted dying law must contain strong safeguards and the international evidence from countries where assisted dying is legal shows that safeguards can be effective. We also believe that the choice of assisted dying should not be considered an alternative to palliative care, but should be offered together as in many other countries.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.
My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.
Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision are both members of the Assisted Dying Coalition, along with Friends at the End, Humanist Society Scotland, and End of Life Choices Jersey.