“Not the right bill, and it is not the right time”, Shipley MP announces she will vote against Assisted Dying Bill

Shipley MP Anna Dixon has announced that she will vote against the Assisted Dying Bill when it returns to Parliament for its crucial third reading this Friday. 

Officially titled the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the legislation would legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, allowing terminally ill adults with a life expectancy of less than six months to end their lives. 

The Private Members' Bill, introduced by Spen Valley MP Kim Leadbeater, passed its first hurdle in the Commons with a majority of 330 in favour to 275 against last year. However, this week’s vote is expected to be much closer. 

Dixon, who also voted against the bill during its first presentation to the House of Commons, has stated that although she does not have "principled objections to assisted dying," she has concerns that the Private members bill process has not delivered a good piece of legislation, saying, “This is not the right bill, and it is not the right time.” 

Speaking ahead of Friday’s vote, Anna Dixon MP said: “I would like to thank everyone from across the Shipley constituency who has contacted me over recent months and shared their personal views regarding the Assisted Dying Bill.  

“I want to emphasise that I have never held any principled objections to assisted dying, on the basis of my faith or any other beliefs. However, this legislative process has been flawed from the start.  

“Since the Bill was introduced, I have argued that a longer, more in-depth process of public consultation and an expert-led inquiry, similar to a Royal Commission, is needed to explore the options and implementation issues before bringing forward a Bill.  

“My observation is that the expert input was selective and rushed; there was little opportunity for members to ask more than a few questions, and many significant issues were not resolved in Committee. 

“Fundamental changes were also made by the proposer of the Bill during the Committee stage, such as the removal of the high court judge and replacement with a panel. 

“It is for these reasons that I tried to amend the Bill when it returned to Parliament last month, to ensure a more thorough process of assessment of the patient’s eligibility by a multi-disciplinary team not by an individual doctor. 

“It's a rare occasion for Parliament to vote on legislation that will have such a significant impact on society. Therefore, it was deeply disappointing that MPs were given so little time and opportunity to thoroughly debate all the proposed amendments or indeed to vote on important amendments which sought to introduce safeguards into the Bill, including mine. 

“The Bill as it stands is unworkable and there are still many unresolved issues that need to be addressed, such as whether assisted dying will be provided on the NHS or by private providers.  

“As someone with nearly 30 years' experience working in health and care, I am also concerned that the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Pathologists have all expressed that there are deficiencies in the bill as it stands which must be addressed in order to protect patients and professionals, despite being neutral on the principle. 

“While the public and the courts are rightly looking to parliament, it is better to take our time and get this right, than to rush through a bad piece of legislation that won’t work in practice and may cause more harm than good. 

“It is for these reasons that I will be voting against the Assisted Dying Bill at third reading on Friday.  

“My view is that this is not the right bill, and it is not the right time.”