Reform UK chief whip Lee Anderson has strongly condemned Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s decision to remove High Court judges from the Assisted Dying Bill process.
“This is totally unacceptable”, the Ashfield MP told GB News, describing the move as having “all the hallmarks of a political stitch up”.
Anderson, who initially backed the Bill at second reading alongside deputy leader Richard Tice and Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe, said he had expected the legislation to be strengthened with “stronger safeguards” during parliamentary stages.
Instead, he argued the Bill had been “weakened at Committee Stage” by Leadbeater’s decision to replace High Court oversight with a panel system.
Lee Anderson has retracted his support for the bill
PA
The original Bill proposed allowing terminally ill adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live to legally end their lives, subject to approval by two doctors and a High Court judge.
Leadbeater announced earlier this week she would replace the High Court’s role with a judge-led Voluntary Assisted Dying Commission.
The new system would include a three-member panel chaired by a senior legal figure, with experts such as psychiatrists and social workers involved in reviewing applications.
The Ministry of Justice had provided recommendations about the Bill’s impact, amid concerns about court backlogs.
Ten Labour MPs have publicly opposed the changes, stating that the “promise of High Court scrutiny” was central to Leadbeater’s original pitch to Parliament.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- Assisted Dying Bill set for crunch vote as MPs fear ‘stitch-up’ – ANALYSIS by Katherine Forster
- I treat patients at the end of their lives…this is why I oppose the assisted dying bill – Renee Hoenderkamp
- Nigel Farage will not vote for assisted dying bill as he admits huge fear: ‘Gives me the shivers’
Spen Valley MP Kim Leadbeater
PA
In a statement, the group, including senior MPs Florence Eshalomi and Dame Meg Hillier, said the process “feels chaotic”.
They expressed concern about the Bill “changing significantly from what was presented to Parliament at second reading”.
Sean Woodcock, another Labour opponent, said the involvement of a High Court judge had been a “central plank” of the Bill and expert evidence had been based on that system.
Peter Sefton-Williams’ case has emerged as a stark example of the risks involved, after he was misdiagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease by two doctors.
After being told to “make no plans beyond six months”, Sefton-Williams contacted Dignitas and began arranging end-of-life care.
However, he later discovered he actually had Multifocal Motor Neuropathy, a non-terminal condition. “I could have died on the basis of an error,” Sefton-Williams told GB News, revealing he is still struggling with the emotional trauma of his misdiagnosis.
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green MP Florence Eshalomi has expressed concern about the bill
PA
His doctor never formally apologised, only acknowledging via email that “the diagnosis has changed”.
Anderson concluded that while he “strongly supports assisted dying” in principle, he “will play no part in supporting a Bill that could have tragic consequences for some families”.
The Ashfield MP emphasised his concern about the removal of promised safeguards from the legislation.
“I support the principle of Assisted Dying but I do not support this Bill or will vote for it to become an Act of Parliament as I believe that it does not provide the safeguards and protections my constituents deserve,” he stated.