Tory MP with Commons 'golden ticket' snubs new assisted dying Bill in favour of bid to force more support for children's first two years

By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Published: 10:55, 9 June 2026 | Updated: 10:57, 9 June 2026 A senior Tory who won a 'golden ticket' to steer a Bill of his choosing through Parliament has vowed to 'unite' MPs behind boosting support for under-twos. Sir Desmond Swayne, a former minister, topped a House of Commons ballot to decide who is at the front of the queue for a Private Member's Bill debate. It means he is able to propose his own legislation to the Commons, which will be debated on select Fridays throughout the parliamentary session. In an article for the Mail, Sir Desmond explained why he had snubbed efforts to try and revive bitterly-contested assisted dying legislation. He outlined how his proposed Infants, Parents and Carers Bill would instead 'support parents and carers during the 1,001 critical days of their baby's life'. 'The period from pregnancy to the age of two is not simply another phase of childhood,' Sir Desmond wrote. 'It is the foundation upon which everything else is built: emotional security, language development, physical health, resilience, attachment and even future capability.' The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - which proposed setting up a framework for assisted dying in England and Wales - was introduced as a Private Member's Bill in 2024 after Labour MP Kim Leadbeater won the previous ballot. But it fell in the House of Lords when peers ran out of time to conclude their debates on the Bill - amid accusations of filibustering - before the last parliamentary session ended in April. There has been speculation that one of the MPs who placed highly on this year's ballot could reintroduce Ms Leadbeater's Bill in a fresh attempt to legalise assisted dying.  Sir Desmond Swayne, a former minister, topped a House of Commons ballot to decide who is at the front of the queue for a Private Member's Bill debate. But, explaining his own choice of Bill after topping the ballot, Sir Desmond said: 'Last year the Private Members' Bill ballot winner chose a subject that divided the House, so this year I have deliberately chosen something that can unite us.' The New Forest West MP, who opposed Ms Leadbeater's Bill in a Commons vote last year, said his own Bill would 'place a duty' on the Government to consider how to improve support for children during the 'critical' period from conception to their second birthday. 'A baby's brain develops more rapidly during the 1,001 critical days than at any other point in their life, and a baby who is safe, secure and supported is far more likely to thrive later on,' he added. 'When that support is absent, society too often ends up paying the price further down the line. For too long, public policy has focused overwhelmingly on crisis management rather than prevention. 'We spend billions picking up the pieces later, while too often failing to support families early on. Strong families are not built by the state. 'But government and taxpayers would reap the rewards of ensuring new families are not left entirely alone at the moment they most need support. 'Pregnancy to age two is the time when prudent investment delivers the greatest return, in human capital, and in economic saving down the line. 'That is why my proposed Infants, Parents and Carers Bill will place a duty on government to: assess the needs of infants, parents and carers; commission and provide appropriate information and services; and report annually to Parliament on how better support is improving outcomes.' Read Sir Desmond's full article below... Why my Bill will be a force for good in the world There are not many occasions on which I believe the answer to a problem is another Act of Parliament. As a Conservative, I instinctively believe in limited government, personal responsibility and restraint when it comes to state intervention. Too often, legislation becomes a substitute for leadership, family, community and common sense. That is precisely why I have chosen to use my Private Members' Bill to bring about legislation that will support parents and carers during the 1,001 critical days of their baby's life. The period from pregnancy to the age of two is not simply another phase of childhood. It is the foundation upon which everything else is built: emotional security, language development, physical health, resilience, attachment and even future capability. A baby's brain develops more rapidly during the 1,001 critical days than at any other point in their life, and a baby who is safe, secure and supported is far more likely to thrive later on. When that support is absent, society too often ends up paying the price further down the line. For too long, public policy has focused overwhelmingly on crisis management rather than prevention. We spend billions picking up the pieces later, while too often failing to support families early on. Strong families are not built by the state. But government and taxpayers would reap the rewards of ensuring new families are not left entirely alone at the moment they most need support. Pregnancy to age two is the time when prudent investment delivers the greatest return, in human capital, and in economic saving down the line. That is why my proposed Infants, Parents and Carers Bill will place a duty on government to: assess the needs of infants, parents and carers; commission and provide appropriate information and services; and report annually to Parliament on how better support is improving outcomes. Despite decades of scientific proof of just how unique is the period from conception to age two, no country has yet fully recognised in law the huge opportunity of investment in the period from pregnancy to age two. In the UK there has been growing cross-party recognition that prevention and early intervention matter profoundly. The groundbreaking report undertaken by Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Graham Allen in 2008 helped lay those foundations and that consensus has continued to grow in recent years. Today, parliamentarians from across the political spectrum are working together on the issue. Current Health Minister Sharon Hodgson worked closely with my former colleague Ed Timpson on the Early Years Commission in 2021, while current MPs including Maya Ellis, Dr Kieran Mullan, Freddie van Mierlo and Jess Asato have all helped drive the urgency, alongside senior figures such as Lucy Powell and Lord David Blunkett. I must also add to that list perhaps the most determined campaigner of them all, my friend Dame Andrea Leadsom, whose tireless work has helped place the 1,001 critical days firmly on the national agenda. Since leaving politics, she has established the 1001 Critical Days Foundation, whose supporters and parliamentary advisers span the political spectrum as well as both Houses of Parliament, united in the belief that the 1,001 critical days can shape the course of a lifetime. We are only too aware that modern family life is ever more challenging. Falling birth rates, concerns around school readiness, speech delay and growing mental health pressures all point to a society in which too many families are struggling to get the support they need at the very beginning. This is not about blaming parents. Parenting has always been demanding, and most parents are doing their best in difficult circumstances. But if we are serious about improving outcomes for babies, reducing pressure on public services and strengthening society itself, we cannot continue to treat the earliest years as an afterthought. We were among the first countries in the world to legislate for universal education because we recognised that national prosperity depended upon investing in human potential. We now have the opportunity to lead the world once again. If my Private Members' Bill succeeds, the United Kingdom could become one of the first countries in the world to legislate specifically for the 1,001 critical days which would send a powerful message internationally: that the wellbeing of babies is not peripheral to national success, but fundamental to it. Last year the Private Members' Bill ballot winner chose a subject that divided the House, so this year I have deliberately chosen something that can unite us. If we get this right, the benefits will be felt not only by today's babies and families, but will become a force for good in the world for generations to come. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. 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