Supporters of the assisted dying bill are preparing to invoke the Parliament Act to force the legislation through if continued delays in the House of Lords cause it to collapse. Described by some backers as the “nuclear option,” this would be the first time the 1911 Parliament Act is used for a private member’s bill. Proponents argue that without this drastic step, the bill will lapse automatically at the end of the parliamentary session in May, despite having already passed the House of Commons.

Key supporters, including MP Kim Leadbeater and Lord Charles Falconer, say they have received strong legal and constitutional advice confirming they can compel a vote in the next session if the bill is blocked. They see the Lords’ prolonged scrutiny as obstruction rather than legitimate debate, while opponents insist the delays reflect necessary examination of a flawed and unsafe bill. Lord Falconer maintains that the issue will not disappear and that the Commons and public deserve a clear parliamentary decision, criticizing the Lords’ self-regulating structure for allowing a small minority to block progress.

The Parliament Act allows the Commons to bypass the Lords if a bill is repeatedly delayed, provided it is reintroduced in the next session in exactly the same form. Amended in 1949 to limit the Lords’ delaying power to one year, it has been used only seven times, notably for highly contentious legislation such as the ban on foxhunting. Applying it to a private member’s bill would be unprecedented and could occur either through success in the private member’s bill ballot or by the government allocating Commons time, both politically fraught options.

Debate in the Lords has now stretched to a tenth day, with more than 1,200 amendments tabled and discussion still stuck on clause one of the bill’s 59 clauses. Analysis suggests at least 16 more sitting days are needed to complete committee stage, far more than the time available before May. Supporters accuse a small group of peers of filibustering, while critics argue the bill lacks professional backing and contains serious flaws. Although Keir Starmer has previously supported assisted dying reform, the government has remained officially neutral, and if no procedural route emerges, supporters admit the bill’s progress may be exhausted.