Friday 25 April 2025 will be the most important debate MPs will have in this parliamentary session, possibly their political career. The task at hand is to engage the 330 MPs who supported the bill at second reading and persuade them to reconsider their support ahead of the third reading vote in May.
Five days on from Easter Sunday, parliament will be debating death. Not of Christ’s victory over sin, death and the grave but whether to introduce a system where the sick and those with a six-month prognosis can receive a physician-assisted death fully paid for and instituted by the state.
Christ is our resurrection and life. As evangelicals we have a better story to tell of dignity in death and what it means to journey with people nearing the end of life. Let’s be bold in our advocacy engagement, warning and urging politicians of the many consequences of legalising assisted dying.
It is likely that on 25 April ‘report stage’ will take place, where MPs will debate the amendments made in committee as well as others proposed to change the bill. This will then probably be followed by ‘third reading’ on 16 May when MPs will have a simple yes or no vote on the whole bill as it has been amended (or not amended).
Why engage 330 MPs?
In November the bill passed second reading stage with 330 MPs in favour, 275 against and 42 abstaining from the vote for one reason or another. We have been advised by several cross-party MPs opposing the bill that the best approach is to mobilise local engagement in the 330 constituencies.
Around 50 MPs voted in support to allow for further debate, with an expectation that concerns around coercion and strong safeguards for vulnerable groups would be addressed. Those MPs are likely to be open to voting against the bill at third reading stage if those concerns are not addressed. You, as local constituents, carry greater influence in convincing these MPs, so make your objections to the bill loud and clear.
In a recent interview with Rachael Maskell Labour MP on the bill, she gave three helpful tips on how to positively engage MPs on this issue:
- Ask your MP to read the full text of the bill once it has left committee stage.
- Engage your MP with the facts and risks of the bill by sharing organisational briefings. You can share the Evangelical Alliance’s briefing with MPs.
- Attend your MP’s constituency surgery. We, along with friends from Care Not Killing and Evangelical Alliance member organisation Christian Medical Fellowship, can coordinate a doctor to join you in the meeting and outline the specific risks to medical practice.
So how did your MP vote in November? You can find out by visiting the parliament.uk and seeing if your MP is one of the 330 who supported the bill at second reading. If they did, then we encourage you to use our ‘email your MP’ tool below.
Please be Christ-like in your disagreement and forward any responses you receive to advocacy@eauk.org.
