Sunday Times Editorial
Few recent pieces of legislation are as divisive as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill — the assisted dying bill. The latest chapter in its messy passage into law, if that is to happen, is the acceptance by Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP bringing it forward, that its implementation may be delayed until 2029.
For supporters of the bill, this is the equivalent of kicking it into the very long grass, from which it may never emerge. For those who oppose it, and there are many, including disability campaigners, it provides an opportunity to dump a flawed piece of legislation.
Leadbeater has fought tirelessly for her assisted dying bill, but she was given a hospital pass by the government. When, before the election, Sir Keir Starmer promised the assisted dying campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen a debate and vote on the issue, many thought that he, a supporter of previous attempts to change the law, would put more weight behind it. It was hubristic of the prime minister to think changing the law would be straightforward. With some senior cabinet ministers opposed, including his own deputy and the health secretary, the government adopted a neutral stance, and the frequent changes to this bill have made the whole process look chaotic.