Political opinion with John Milne MP: Why the Assisted Dying Bill failed to get a majority

Last Friday MPs voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill by 286 to 270. On the face of it, that’s bizarre, because only last year the exact same MPs voted through the exact same proposal, which was then blocked in the House of Lords. So, what changed their minds? It wasn’t about the underlying principle itself.  

If you are on principle against assisted dying, then no version of this legislation will ever satisfy you. But for those who – like me – are accepting on principle, there is still the question of whether this particular piece of legislation is the right way to go about it.    

The Bill we considered was almost exactly the same as the one that was blocked last year. However, some MPs had been expecting further improvements to be made before they gave consent. They weren’t willing to accept this as the finished version.  

And this is where it gets complicated. Last time round, a handful of Lords submitted an enormous number of amendments and then debated for so long that we ran out of time – a practice known as ‘filibustering’.  

The Parliament Act of 1908 limits the power of the Lords to obstruct the repeated will of the elected chamber. But the Act only applies if the legislation under consideration is exactly the same. So that’s what the supporters of the bill did.  

I understand the logic of the tactic, but in practice it backfired badly. All those MPs who were looking for further improvements before granting consent weren’t sure that could happen under the Parliament Act. Although not many of them actually switched sides, enough stayed away to make the difference.  

Assisted dying is one of those issues where there will always be two opposing views with no possible middle ground. Like all MPs, I have received a huge postbag from both sides.   

It’s important to note that this wasn’t a government bill; it was a free vote. MPs voted individually, not on party lines. I myself support the right to choose a dignified death, and I voted that way. I understand that this is a deeply personal matter for all of us, with very persuasive and emotive arguments from all sides.   

Under Parliamentary rules, another bill could be brought next year if an assisted dying supporter succeeds in the next Private Members' Bill ballot. Almost certainly, I would expect this to be a new version of the bill which would be open to amendment.   

Either way, this issue will continue to raise the strongest feelings on both sides.