The great majority of bills are brought by the government because they control the timetable and they have a majority. But some moral issues are matters of conscience, not politics.
Assisted Dying is definitely in this category so I approve of the decision to present it as a Private Member’s Bill (PMB) brought by Kim Leadbetter – who is an ordinary backbench MP, not a member of the government.
However, the PMB process has its limitations. It’s hard to give legislation enough time, especially because the debates take place on Fridays, which are normally constituency days. Furthermore, there’s also not as much civil service support available for careful drafting. This is why a number of MPs have complained about a lack of opportunity to make their points.
But, at heart this is a problem with the Parliamentary system itself, not the Assisted Dying bill. For all its flaws, the PMB process is the best mechanism we have available right now. I hope this experience will focus minds on the need for change.
In fact it could be argued this bill has received more meaningful debate than most. 500 amendments have been tabled of which a third have been agreed so far. Most recently we voted to support a requirement that no medical professional or anyone else can be pressured to take part in an assisted dying request, and it would not affect their employment.
For myself, I continue to approach this issue with as much of an open mind as possible. This decision isn’t simply about principle. It’s just as much about the practical obstacles that must be overcome to make this work.
There will be more days of debate ahead as we work through the amendments. This phase is about turning the Bill into the best possible version of itself. Only then will MPs take a final vote on whether to go ahead…..or not.