Assisted dying bill to be published next week as MPs fret over scrutiny

The assisted dying bill is set to be published next week amid widespread disquiet from MPs about scrutiny of the legislation that its proponents believe is pushing people towards the no campaign.

- Jessica Elgot

The Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who is helming the private members' bill, has promised colleagues they will see the detail of the legislation by early next week, ahead of the vote on 29 November. Some MPs said they believed the original plan had been to publish the bill just a week before the vote.

A big cross-party push is under way on both sides to win over a significant number of undecided MPs across all parties. Tory backers of the law change believe one key to potential victory is a significant number of Conservatives who have changed their mind on assisted dying since the 2015 vote, when the measure was comprehensively defeated.

MPs will have a free vote, meaning they can vote according to their conscience. The bill is expected to make provisions for those terminally ill, with less than six months to live, to end their life at a time of their choosing, subject to safeguards.