The Assisted Dying Bill is dangerous and unworkable. It lacks essential safeguards and fails to protect people against coercion by health care staff or family members.

Last year, Kim Leadbeater MP’s Bill was pushed through the House of Commons by just 23 votes and then ran out of time in the House of Lords after over 1,200 amendments were tabled. Now Lauren Edwards MP has brought it back and threatens to skip important parliamentary steps to get it passed.

Legislation of this magnitude, which risks limiting Disabled people’s rights and would transform the function of the NHS, cannot be rushed. A Private Members’ Bill process does not provide sufficient scrutiny, time for debate, or consultation with medical experts and those most affected – including Disabled people and Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs).

We also cannot responsibly have this debate until Disabled people are assisted to live in this country. As Prime Minister Andy Burnham states: “The fixing of the funding of palliative care and social care" must come before the debate on assisted dying.

Join us in writing to your MP to urge them to vote no to the Assisted Dying Bill on the 11th of September.