Several prominent supporters of assisted dying legislation, among them former cabinet ministers Louise Haigh, Ian Murray and Jeremy Hunt, have informed constituents they do not anticipate reviving the measure through the Parliament Acts. An increasing number of MPs who voted for the bill have indicated to voters they oppose invoking the procedure that could override the House of Lords, where peers halted progress. Kim Leadbeater’s proposal cleared the Commons by 23 votes, so a shift by just 12 members would defeat any revived version. Advocates of the private member’s bill, intended for England and Wales, retain a slim option to apply the Parliament Acts if another MP agrees to reintroduce it via the same route. The measure stalled in the Lords after opponents tabled over 1,000 amendments, leaving insufficient time for a final vote. Two MPs who backed the original bill ranked in the top five of the latest private member’s bill ballot: Labour’s Lauren Edwards in second place and Liberal Democrat Andrew George in fourth. Both have indicated they may take it forward, although George noted he would seek constituent views and that affordable housing ranked higher locally. Haigh told a Sheffield Heeley voter she “would not support attempts” to use the Parliament Acts to circumvent further Lords opposition. Murray wrote to Edinburgh South constituents that invoking the Acts was “extremely unlikely” and would ultimately rest with government and parliament. Hunt stated he would be “extremely disappointed” if the bill collapsed yet warned that bypassing the Lords could raise ethical concerns about the legislation itself. Other backbench MPs, including Liberal Democrat Charlotte Cane and Labour’s Deirdre Costigan, have expressed similar reservations without committing to outright opposition. Conservative Peter Bedford, a co-sponsor, told constituents he doubted success if reintroduced this session but a spokesperson clarified he would likely support the principle if it returned.
