In this latest episode of our special mini-podcast series, we sit down with Kim Leadbeater MP, sponsor of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, as the legislation reaches a critical juncture. With Report Stage in the House of Commons now set for Friday 16 May, Leadbeater explains why she postponed it from its original April date, emphasising the importance of giving MPs time to digest significant changes made during Committee Stage. For a Bill dealing with such a complex and sensitive issue, she says, getting it right matters more than moving quickly.
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Our conversation explores the procedural hurdles facing Private Members’ Bills – especially at Report Stage, where many stumble. Leadbeater outlines some of the key amendments she plans to table, including stronger conscience protections for healthcare professionals, a ban on advertising, and provisions to ensure the legislation is workable and legally sound.
One of the most debated issues is whether hospices and similar institutions should be allowed to opt out of assisted dying requests. While critics want clearer rules in the Bill, Leadbeater argues for flexibility – preferring to let institutions make their own decisions, with the potential for the system to evolve over time.
We also explore the Government’s role. Though officially neutral, it has played a behind-the-scenes role in shaping the Bill’s technical aspects. Leadbeater has collaborated closely with civil servants to make sure the legislation is workable, including enhanced oversight mechanisms like a strengthened reporting framework and the role of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Commissioner.
The newly released Impact Assessment gets a mention, too. While unlikely to sway firmly held views on this deeply personal issue, it offers important insights—such as expected uptake, implementation costs, training needs, and a tentative start date in late 2029, assuming a four-year rollout.
Concerns have been raised by some MPs about whether the Bill is being rushed. Leadbeater insists she's proceeding step by step and not looking too far ahead. Still, Ruth and Mark point out that the Government’s own Impact Assessment suggests an extended Session into the Autumn — likely giving the Bill more breathing room.
Beyond the legislative detail, Leadbeater reflects on the emotional toll of championing this Bill. She’s endured online abuse and misinformation, but is driven by the moving stories of people who’ve witnessed loved ones suffer or felt compelled to seek end-of-life options abroad. Despite the intensity of the issue, she commends the respectful tone of debate among MPs, especially those who oppose the Bill on moral or religious grounds.
As the 16 May debate approaches, Leadbeater stresses how vital it is for supportive MPs to attend and vote — both to ensure key amendments are discussed and to maintain public confidence in Parliament’s handling of the Bill. With a high level of public interest and emotional investment, a poorly attended Report Stage would damage the credibility of the House of Commons.
🗓️ To provide full coverage of the Report Stage outcome, we’ll be delaying next week’s episode of Parliament Matters by 24 hours. Look out for it in your podcast feed from 7am on Saturday 17 May.
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Kim Leadbeater MP
Kim Leadbeater is the Labour MP for Spen Valley in West Yorkshire. She was elected to Parliament in the Batley and Spen by-election in 2021. Her sister, Jo Cox, had been the local MP until she was assassinated in her constituency in 2016. Before standing for Parliament herself, Kim served as an ambassador for the Jo Cox Foundation and was appointed an MBE for services to social cohesion and to combatting loneliness during Covid-19. Following her re-election at the 2024 general election and Sir Keir Starmer’s promise to make parliamentary time available for a free vote on legalising assisted dying, she came top in the annual ballot for Private Members’ Bills and introduced the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to the House of Commons.
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Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Bill documents
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[00:00:00] Intro: You are listening to Parliament Matters, a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Learn more at hansardsociety.org uk/pm.
[00:00:17] Ruth Fox: Welcome to Parliament Matters, the podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy, Parliament itself. I'm Ruth Fox.
[00:00:24] Mark D'Arcy: And I'm Mark D'Arcy, and welcome to the latest in our increasingly extended series of special podcasts, looking at the progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the Bill that would enable assisted dying in England and Wales. And with Report Stage for that Bill, a crucial moment looming next week on Friday, the 16th of May, we are talking to the Bills promoter, Kim Leadbeater. When we went to her office, we began by asking her why she'd postponed that Report Stage from April the 25th. Why the delay?
[00:00:55] Kim Leadbeater MP: Well, thank you for having me on your exceptional podcast. I'm feeling very nervous to be in such esteemed company with such parliamentary gurus. But, but yeah, look, I mean, I think I've always been really clear that for this really important piece of legislation, it's more important to get it right than to do it quickly.
[00:01:11] And whilst there was a date in for Report Stage, it felt that given the changes that had been made during the Bill Committee procedure, it was quite right that I give colleagues enough time to absorb those changes, read through the new bill as drafted, and it felt that giving people a few more weeks to do that was, was the right thing to do.
[00:01:29] And I've, I've really tried incredibly hard actually to make sure this procedure and process is fair. It gives colleagues time to process the information that they need to process. And this was just another way of, of trying to do that.
[00:01:41] Mark D'Arcy: What's coming up on Friday next week, Friday the 16th is Report Stage, which is often where Private Members Bills run into the sand, where they can be deluged with amendments and there isn't time to consider them all, and the bill just sort of goes into limbo or where it can be amended out of sight if there aren't enough people to defend the bill as as you want it to be. So first of all, do you see this as perhaps the, the biggest test yet?
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The UK Spending Review outlines how Government funds will be allocated over several years. Unlike the Budget, which raises revenue, the Review decides how it is spent. But how is it approved? What role does Parliament play if it doesn’t vote on the Review itself? This blog explores how the Spending Review works, how it differs from the Budget, and how Parliament holds the Government to account through the Estimates process.
On Friday 13 June, the House of Commons will once again debate the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. Specifically, it will hold a second day of Report Stage, during which the whole House will debate and vote on amendments. This briefing explains the structure of Report Stage, what happened on the first day of Report Stage, how amendments are selected and grouped, on which amendments a decision can still be taken, and the likely sequence of events this Friday, including whether a final vote will take place.
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, will deliver a statement on the Spending Review. MPs will resume Report Stage of the assisted dying bill and debate key legislation on football governance, mental health, and planning and infrastructure. Peers and MPs are expected to resolve their standoff over AI and copyright in the Data (Use and Access) Bill. The Commons Defence Committee will hear from the lead reviewers of the Strategic Defence Review, while a Lords Committee will examine the Chagos Archipelago sovereignty issue. The Hansard Society’s Director will give evidence to the Modernisation Committee about access to the House of Commons and its procedures.
In this episode, we explore why ministers keep bypassing Parliament to make major announcements to the media — and whether returning to the Despatch Box might help clarify their message. We unpack the Lords' uphill battle to protect creators’ rights in the Data Use and Access Bill, challenge claims that the Assisted Dying Bill lacks scrutiny, and examine early findings from a Speaker’s Conference on improving security for MPs, as threats and intimidation against politicians continue to rise. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.
Our evidence on treaty scrutiny has been published by the House of Lords International Agreements Committee. Our submission outlines the problems with the existing framework for treaty scrutiny and why legislative and cultural change are needed to improve Parliament's scrutiny role. Our evidence joins calls for a parliamentary consent vote for the most significant agreements, a stronger role for Parliament in shaping negotiating mandates and monitoring progress, and a sifting committee tasked with determining which agreements warrant the greatest scrutiny.
