Assisted dying law thrown into doubt

The introduction of assisted dying in England and Wales will be pushed back by a further two years in a delay that supportive MPs fear could mean the change of law is never realised.

- Eleni Courea Jessica Elgot Peter Walker

The deferral was proposed by Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP piloting the assisted dying bill through parliament. It means the initial timeline of two years for implementing the law will now stretch to four.

The earliest an assisted dying service is now expected to be operational is 2029, the year by which the next general election must take place, raising fears among backers of the bill that ministers would be reluctant to push through such a controversial reform before voters go to the polls.

A spokesperson for Leadbeater said she "hopes and believes the service can be delivered more quickly" but that the changes made to the bill since autumn meant it would "inevitably take longer to implement". The delay marks the latest major change to the assisted dying proposals which have proven deeply contentious in the Commons and beyond.

The new four-year timeline will only become official once it is approved by the Commons committee scrutinising the bill. It was due to discuss the change last night.