Poll shows public opposition to bypassing Lords to legalise assisted suicide

A latest opinion poll has suggested that almost all people in Britain don’t support bypassing the House of Lords with the intention to pass the controversial assisted suicide bill.

Although the House of Commons voted in favour of medically assisted suicide last 12 months, the bill has yet to receive approval within the House of Lords, where it’s currently facing heavy scrutiny from peers. Supporters of the bill fear that a final vote within the Lords is not going to happen and that it can fail by default.

Lord Falconer, who has championed assisted suicide for a few years, has suggested that the Lords could possibly be bypassed by invoking the Parliament Acts in the subsequent parliamentary session. Such an act can be a primary for a personal members’ bill and can be “politically explosive” in keeping with campaign group Right To Life UK.

Polling conducted by More In Common found that 54 per cent of individuals imagine that if the bill fails, it should either not return or should need to undergo the strategy of passing through each houses again. Nearly half (46 per cent) said the bill could proceed without the Lords’ approval.

The polling also revealed a drop in public support for legalising medically assisted suicide, with just 28 per cent supporting the proposals, down from 32 per cent in November 2024.

Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, said, “Today’s polling shows the general public doesn’t support bypassing the House of Lords to force through the assisted suicide bill.”

She continued, “Taking this unprecedented path to bypass House of Lords scrutiny of a personal members’ bill can be politically explosive.

“The Parliament Acts have never been used to force through a personal members’ bill before, and this polling confirms the general public doesn’t support taking this deeply controversial route.

“Any talk of using the Parliament Acts to force this bill into law must now be put to rest.”