We are now just over a week away from the debate on Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide bill. I know that many of you have already contacted your MPs – thank you! (If you haven’t, it’s not too late - see the details of how to in this previous email)

For those who have already contacted their MPs, here’s what to do next.

1. Pass on their replies.

Please make sure you forward your MP’s reply on to me – it’s really useful intelligence. Just forward it to [email protected]

2. Reiterate to your MP that they should vote AGAINST the bill on the 29^th November.

Many of you will have been getting replies from your MP along the lines of that they might vote for the Bill at second reading on the 29^th, so that it can be discussed and amended. They would then vote it down if they’re not satisfied at third reading. Campaigners on the other side of the debate have been promoting this idea that MPs who are supportive in principle but worried about the details of the Bill should vote for it at second reading so it can be amended.

This is disingenuous. It is very rare for private members bills that pass second reading to be voted down at third reading. In fact, since 2010, we can only find one example of this happening, out of 219 bills!

There is also very little time for amending the Bill after second reading. Nikki Da Costa, former director of Legislative Affairs at No 10, explains it in this video:

If your MP has said this, please reply and tell your him/her that it is not safe to allow this bill to pass second reading, as there is very little time for amendments, and that it is very rare for bills to be voted down at third reading. You can send them to the link to the video. If they have any reservations about the safeguards, the only safe thing to do is to vote against it at second reading.

This also applies to MPs who are not planning to be present for the vote (it is on a Friday, so many MPs go back to their constituencies). Please urge them to attend parliament for this vote, as it is not safe to wait until later stages to oppose it.

3. Get other people to write

The numbers are very close, and the correspondence MPs get really does make a difference, so please get as many people as possible to write to their MPs. You can share our tool with friends and family using the buttons below.

Just click on the method you want to share by, fill in the contact details, and change the message if you like.