MPs on both sides of the assisted dying debate urge the House of Commons not to use an accelerated parliamentary procedure to force the bill through if it is blocked by the House of Lords. Two Labour MPs, Gareth Snell and Meg Hillier, write to colleagues ahead of a vote scheduled for Friday, warning against taking what they describe as an “extraordinary risk”.
Snell and Hillier both argue that if the bill continues to face obstacles in the Lords, MPs should allow the Lords to carry out its scrutiny role on what they describe as a serious public issue. The outlets report that the warning is aimed at MPs considering whether to bypass normal processes by relying on an obscure procedural route to get the legislation debated and voted on again in the Commons.
The reporting reflects a shared concern about procedure and process. While the MPs’ positions on assisted dying differ—Snell supports the bill and Hillier opposes it—both letters frame their intervention around preserving the Lords’ opportunity to examine the proposals rather than forcing an immediate outcome.
