Assisted dying bill returns as families renew appeal

Families carry campaign for assisted dying bill back to Commons

The assisted dying bill is due back in the House of Commons for its second reading on 11 September, with relatives of two terminally ill campaigners urging MPs to consider the choices they were denied. The bill was reintroduced by Lauren Edwards, the Labour MP for Rochester and Strood, after the legislation ran out of time in the House of Lords.

Sarah Burns, whose sister Elise died on 22 July, said the family felt “guilty, and helpless” because they knew what Elise wanted but could not act. Marc Williams has described a similar experience after his father, Keith, died of lung cancer on 16 June. Both men and women had appeared in campaign videos filmed by Rankin in May.

Elise Burns wanted more control at the end of life

Elise Burns, 52, worked in publishing and had initially been treated for breast cancer before being diagnosed with terminal secondary cancer that had spread to her liver, lungs and bones. She campaigned for the bill and wrote to Edwards that she wanted the chance to put “a human dying face” to the debate, saying her concerns were about dignity, compassion and choice rather than politics or ideology.

After her diagnosis, Burns wanted to live fully but also began discussing Dignitas, the Swiss assisted dying clinic. Her sister said Elise had consistently made clear that she did not want a painful death. An infection led to hospitalisation at the beginning of July; she was transferred to a hospice 16 days later and died two days after that. Her family said staff worked to make her comfortable but were legally limited in what they could do.

Keith Williams’ family describes a different fear

Keith Williams, a 77-year-old former welder and social worker, had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023. Radiotherapy left him with long-term side effects, and he was later diagnosed with lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis. His son, Marc, said Keith wanted to die at home and on his own terms, but his wife’s arthritis meant she could no longer physically care for him.

Keith was moved to a hospice after returning home and died the following week. His son said he was struggling to breathe and that medication could treat pain but could not resolve the breathing difficulty. Marc said his father had considered travelling to Switzerland, but would have needed to make the journey while still fit enough to travel, potentially forcing him to end his life earlier than he wanted.

What happens to the legislation

More than 100 cross-party peers have written to MPs asking them to send the bill back to the House of Lords so it can complete its parliamentary passage. The signatories include former cabinet secretary Gus O’Donnell, former Labour leader Neil Kinnock and former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson.

The peers argued that hundreds of amendments tabled by seven opponents caused the backbench bill to run out of time in the Lords. Andy Burnham has said he will not vote, explaining that he does not want to influence what he regards as an emotional debate.