"Peers will mount a new offensive to halt the assisted dying bill on Friday, tabling almost 1,000 new amendments to the legislation in an effort to run down the clock. More than half of the 942 amendments have been tabled by just seven members of the House of Lords, all of them vocal opponents of assisted dying (AD). A source close to the bill said it was possible it could get effectively filibustered if peers pushed all the amendments to a vote."
"Our role is to test and refine the bill where genuine improvements can be made, while respecting both the will of the Commons and the overwhelming support of the public. It is not our role to frustrate the clear democratic mandate expressed by elected Members. It adds: This is an issue of immense public importance, commanding support across society. The public rightly expects this House to conduct its scrutiny with integrity, care and a focus on practical improvement."
Peers will table almost 1,000 amendments to the assisted dying bill to delay its progress, with seven peers responsible for over half of the 942 amendments. A source warned the volume could effectively filibuster the bill if all amendments were pushed to a vote. The bill began as a private member's bill from Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, passed the Commons in June, and now faces the Lords. Sixty-five peers, including senior figures, warned that killing the bill after Commons approval would be anti‑democratic. Opponents argue the bill is not in the government's manifesto so Commons primacy rules do not apply. Signatories urged careful scrutiny to make the law workable, safe, and compassionate.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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