Up and down the country public meetings are being held where attendees speak candidly, listen respectfully and pay tribute to those with whom they passionately disagree.
The MPs are often, genuinely, undecided on the subject and are more inclined to listen than to impose their views.
When it comes to assisted dying the debate feels different – underpinned by a free vote and informed by deeply personal experiences, much of it playing out in town halls and community centres.
It’s about as far away from the superficial divisions of Westminster politics as it can get.
Image: A public meeting to discuss assisted dying in Sandhurst, Berkshire
At a gathering this week in Sandhurst, Berkshire, a young woman described her mother, who is in her 60s – a once fun, kind and energetic woman who after years fighting cancer is now fading before her eyes.
She told the silent room she feels powerless to help and broke down in tears as she appealed to Labour MP Peter Swallow to back a change in the law.
As she struggled to tell her story a man sitting in the row in front got up and put his arm around her.
He later told the meeting he was against the legislation, concerned it could make older people feel obligated to die.
He believed his own father had felt like a burden in his final years. The woman who he had supported reached out and took his hand as he spoke.
Others talked about their faith with quiet but compelling conviction, and many raised concerns about pressure on patients and doctors.
Mr Swallow, the newly elected MP for Bracknell who held the meeting, described the process of coming to a conclusion on a matter of conscience.
“This is one of the parts of my decision-making,” he said.
“I’ve also been speaking to medical experts, looking over contributions from people who work in the palliative care sector, and I have been reading the select committee report from the last parliament on this issue.
“I’ve read line by line through the Bill as well… and of course, I’m looking to my own conscience, looking to my own experience with death and weighing up all of those issues.
“I’ll be listening to the debate in Parliament as well and using that to really finally decide how I’m going to cast my vote.”
He is one of hundreds of MPs who have spent the past few weeks weighing all the arguments and may even wait until the day to decide, making the result of the second reading vote on Friday as unpredictable as it is consequential.
Image: Labour MP Dr Jeevun Sandher
Decision ‘about shortening some quite horrible deaths’
The feeling among its supporters is that the shift in public opinion in favour of assisted dying will be reflected in parliament, and in particular among the vast new cohort of mostly Labour MPs.
A leading voice among them is Dr Jeevun Sandher, who has been making the case to colleagues and offering public backing to the Bill’s sponsor, Kim Leadbeater.
He said: “We should be clear that 70 people die every single day… for whom palliative care cannot allay their pain. They have built a tolerance to opioids. They’re allergic to them. You can’t just pump them full of morphine.
“So for those towards the end of their life, for me, the choice is quite clear.
“What we should be doing is hope to alleviate suffering in accordance with their wishes in a safe, responsible manner, which Kim’s bill does.
“For some people, they will choose to end their life and others will not. And that’s completely fine. But we are talking the last six months. This is about shortening some quite horrible deaths.”
Image: Conservative MP Harriett Baldwin
‘I don’t want our society to go down this route’
There is, however, steadfast and long-standing opposition, made up of MPs like Conservative Harriett Baldwin whose own father was handed a death sentence by doctors, only to recover.
“I think it’s very difficult to say definitively that someone is going to die within the next six months,” she said.
“From a personal point of view, I had an experience with my own father who was basically decreed to be almost dead and lived for another 20 years…
“He made it through. He lived to see his grandchildren grow up. And we’re so blessed that we had him for those extra 20 years.
“So, medically, ethically, legally, there are so many issues that I am not comfortable with and I don’t want our society to go down this route. And that’s why I shall vote against on the 29th.”
For the many who are still undecided though, the next few days are critical.
High-level interventions from Cabinet figures and angry headlines about splits at the top may sway opinion at the margins but what sets votes like this apart is that they are not won or lost in the corridors of power.
For once, it’s quiet voices, gentle politics and personal reflections that will dictate what Westminster does.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
He goes on to say that he remembers “with great fondness” Mr Trump’s visits to the UK during his “previous presidency”.
The King mentions Mr Trump visiting the golf course the US president owns in Turnberry and then appears to suggest a visit to Balmoral or Dumfries House in Scotland at some stage – estates owned or run by the monarch.
More from Politics
He writes: “There is much on both Estates which I think you might find interesting and enjoy – particularly as my Foundation at Dumfries House provides hospitality skills-training for young people who often end up as staff in your own establishments!
“Quite apart from this presenting an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest, it would also offer a valuable chance to plan a historic second State Visit to the United Kingdom.
“As you will know, this is unprecedented by a US president. That is why I would find it helpful for us to be able to discuss, together, a range of options for location and programme content.
“In so doing, working together, I know we will further enhance the special relationship between our two countries, of which we are both so proud.”
Image: The second page of the letter is signed off by the King
Sky News has contacted Buckingham Palace to ask when the second state visit might take place, and they said: “When diaries allow.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
A 19-year-old woman has died after being attacked by a dog in Bristol, police have said.
Two people – a man and a woman both aged in their 20s – have been arrested and remain in police custody.
Neighbourhood Inspector Terry Murphy said: “A full investigation is now well under way to establish the full circumstances of the events that led to her death.”
At 7.19pm, police received a report from the ambulance service of the incident inside a flat in Cobhorn Drive, Bristol.
Despite the efforts of the emergency services, the victim died at the scene.
Two people were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act, including being in possession of a prohibited breed of dog.
Image: An XL bully. File pic: Alexandre Bauer/iStock
A neighbour paid tribute to the victim, saying she “seemed a lovely girl” and had only lived in the property for a few weeks.
“I was up all night awake trying to process this,” the neighbour, who did not want to be named, said.
“I am shocked. I just can’t believe it’s happened and she hasn’t been there that long.”
Initial reports suggested the dog may be an XL bully, but confirming the breed will form part of the police assessment process, according to Avon and Somerset Police.
It was sedated and seized by officers.
Image: Floral tributes left near the scene. Pic: PA
The neighbour said she had seen the dog on a lead with its owner and was certain it was an XL bully.
“I do feel so sad for the dog owner,” she said.
“She did mention the dog wasn’t great with men, fine with women and children.
“I feel for her so, so much. It wasn’t her fault.”
She added: “I genuinely feel that this was one of those freak accidents and wasn’t her fault – that’s how I feel.”
Avon and Somerset Police inspector Terry Murphy said: “As part of this work, Cobhorn Drive was closed last night and I thank everyone for their patience and understanding about our need to do this,” said Inspector Murphy.
“There will be an increased police presence in the area over the coming days, including neighbourhood officers, and if you have any concerns please do speak to them.”
Anyone who owns one of the dogs must have had the animal neutered, have it microchipped and keep it muzzled and on a lead in public, among other restrictions.
The government moved to ban XL bullies followed a series of attacks on people and other dogs.
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have landed in Florida in the US after a travel ban in Romania was lifted, a spokesperson for the influencers has said.
The Tates landed in Fort Lauderdale in a private plane at around 11:30am local time, their representative Mateea Petrescu added.
Speaking around an hour later, Andrew Tate told reporters: “We’ve yet to be convicted of any crimes in our lives ever. We have no criminal record anywhere on the planet ever.
“Our case was dismissed on 19 December in Romania under the Biden administration, and our prosecutor recently decided, because we have no active indictment in court, to let us go and return.
“This is a Democratic society, we’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, as my brother and I are.”
The brothers, who champion US President Donald Trump, are facing charges in Romania of human trafficking, sexual misconduct and money laundering, as well as starting an organised crime group.
The self-styled misogynists are dual UK and US nationals whose controversial views are shared widely on social media platforms such as TikTok and X.
Their arrival in Fort Lauderdale comes after the Financial Times reported last week that the Trump administration had lobbied their Romanian counterparts to ease restrictions on the brothers while they face charges.
Romanian foreign minister Emil Hurezeanu said the Tates were mentioned during his brief hallway meeting with Mr Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month.
Romanian prosecutors later said they had approved a request from Andrew Tate, 38, to travel outside of the country, pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.
The pair had been released from house arrest, but were not allowed to leave the country and were required to check in with the police regularly.
“The request to change the obligation of not leaving Romania was approved,” prosecutors said in a statement on Thursday.
“All the other obligations have been maintained, including the requirement to check in with judicial authorities every time they are called.”
A spokeswoman for the Tates told Sky News the Romanian courts had decided they will return to the brothers all of their assets.
This includes restoring their ownership of all previously frozen bank accounts, five properties, six cars including two Audis and a Ferrari, and company shares. Some assets will remain under precautionary seizure, according to the court ruling.
The brothers are fighting a series of legal battles not just in Romania, but also in the UK and the US.
They have consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with all the legal action taking place.
The Tates grew up in Luton and have millions of social media followers. Andrew Tate also appeared in the UK version of Big Brother in 2016.
The pair are often criticised for their misogynistic views online – particularly as they have a predominately young, male audience.
A number of banned Twitter accounts have been reinstated by Elon Musk. Tate was among those brought back on 18 November 2022 after Musk took over and rebranded it X.
A British court ruled in March that the brothers are also under a European arrest warrant and will be extradited to the UK – where allegations of rape and human trafficking are being investigated by Bedfordshire Police – after Romanian trial proceedings finish for a separate investigation.
A recent lawsuit filed in Florida accuses both Tate brothers of conspiring to coerce a woman into sex work, luring her to Romania and defaming her after her testimony to Romanian authorities. The Tate brothers had previously sued her for defamation in 2023.
Four British women who allege they were raped and coercively controlled by Andrew Tate said they have been “retraumatised” by today’s events.
“It is clear that there is now a major risk that the criminal prosecution for his alleged crimes in Romania will not proceed, and he may use this development as an opportunity to harass further and intimidate witnesses and his accusers as well as continue to spread a violent, misogynistic doctrine around the world,” the alleged victims said in a joint statement.
Tate is facing civil action brought by the women at the High Court. He denies the allegations and has threatened to pursue the women for defamation.
Matthew Jury, their solicitor at McCue Jury & Partners, said: “The news that pressure by the Trump administration has led to Andrew Tate, and his brother Tristan, being allowed to leave Romania by its authorities is equal parts disgusting and dismaying.”
He added: “The UK government knew this might happen more than a week ago. The fact that nothing seems to have been done to prevent it is concerning. One can only hope action will now be taken. Given that Prime Minister Starmer is in the US today to meet with President Trump, perhaps his team may take the opportunity to raise this issue.”