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The assisted dying bill enters the make-or-break stage.
The message of those around Kim Leadbeater is that everything is calm and good. She tells me that she is ‘not very worried’ that 28 MPs have changed their minds and overthrow the previous, historic, Vote during the second reading of the bill.
But the vote at the press conference of the assisted dying campaign is different today. The cheerful optimism that marked the last one turned to a loaded nervousness.
They have to be nervous. There are Jitters under a number of MPs I spoke to that last voted for the bill, but are concerned about precautions and timeframes.
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MPs do not have long to plan – after the Easter recess, the report phase of the process will begin (probably on April 25) and the next vote is expected around 16 May.
It will be the crunch vote where MPs that have in principle voted for the bill – to see that it is discussed – should choose a side.
The last time a majority of 55 MPs voted for assisted die, expected more than many, but not enough to make sure the road to the law.
Lee Anderson of Reformation and his former colleague Rupert Lowe both told us that they would no longer support the bill after they last supported it. However, no MPs for labor I spoke to appear that they have changed decisively.
“I would hope that some colleagues would come on board who last voted against it,” says Ms Leadbeater.
But the feeling I get is that the mood can be in the other direction.
The most important problem that arises is the removing the requirement of a judge of the Supreme Court – is replaced by a panel of experts, including a senior lawyer, psychiatrist and social worker. Ms Leadbeater says the precautions are now stronger.
There was also criticism that some amendments, including closing a so-called anorexia loophole, were not selected.
Naz Shah, the LP of the Labor for Bradford West who did not support the assisted dying bill, but claims she was “very open” to vote for it, says the process is “fundamentally defective”.
She says, “The intention for me was, is it going to be safer? Can I vote for this bill? Finally, the conclusion I made is no, it’s not safe enough.”
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Kim Leadbeater MP defend changes to assisted dying bill
There is also unrest over the deadline for the implementation of assisted death that is pushed up to four years, which will mean that it will mean that it will be politicized in an election campaign.
Ms Leadbeater says it’s “more important to do it right than to do it quickly”. She believes that implementation can still be achieved over two years.
And what about the toll that took it on the MP itself? It was always striking that such consequent legislation should be brought through an individual MP’s private members Bill.
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Why die assisted so controversial?
Ms Leadbeater, whose sister Jo Cox was killed when she was an MP, tells me “the personal toll was pretty difficult”.
She talks about the ‘unpleasantness and nasty’ aimed at her, but believes that her parliamentary colleagues have come to the argument in good faith.
“I think people have their views and they have strong views,” she says. “We all have to think about how we act in this very privileged, very responsible work.”
One thing is certain, it’s almost time for MPs for MPs, and what happens next will have consequences outside of parliament.
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