by Janet Eastham, Daniel Martin and Genevieve Holl-Allen, Telegraph
Lawyer who drafted the legislation for Kim Leadbeater’s Bill has admitted she ‘didn’t have time’ to specify how the service would work
When Kim Leadbeater addressed Parliament ahead of November’s free vote on assisted dying, she pledged swift action, urging MPs to back her plan to roll out the service by 2027.
But on Wednesday night, the Spen Valley MP was forced to scale back her ambition – delaying the implementation of assisted dying until 2029.
Delaying the rollout until after the next general election risks the policy being abandoned altogether.
Ms Leadbeater is thought to have climbed down after civil servants responsible for drafting amendments told her the Bill was unworkable in several key areas. These are the reasons why the Assisted Dying Bill has been delayed.
Read also: Assisted dying in doubt after Leadbeater backs down