Opponents of bill insist government should not give it special treatment as peers delay its passage
Opponents of the assisted dying bill have accused its supporters of bullying after key backers said they would attempt to bypass the House of Lords if peers continue to block it.
The Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and the Labour peer Charles Falconer said the government had a duty to listen to the anger among supporters about how the bill had been handled in the Lords.
They insisted the government could remain neutral on the bill but said it should give the bill time in the next session of parliament because of the “undemocratic” precedent of it being blocked by the Lords.
On Thursday, No 10 refused to commit to giving more time to the bill but said parliament should be able to have its say on the issue. The bill would legalise assisted dying for people with a terminal illness with less than six months to live.
