MPs vote down assisted dying bill for terminally ill adults in England and Wales

The draft legislation had proposed allowing adults, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death.

UK lawmakers on Friday voted down legislation to allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to choose to end their lives. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was opposed by 286 members of parliament, while 270 voted for it. The vote brings an end to a two-year debate in parliament about assisted dying. On two previous occasions in 2024 and 2025, the elected House of Commons had backed the bill, but it did not become law because it was effectively filibustered by unelected...

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page MPs have rejected plans to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales after a dramatic vote in the Commons. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was defeated by just 16 votes following more than four hours of passionate debate on Friday. A total of 286 MPs voted against the legislation, while 270 backed it. The Bill would have allowed adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death. Those applications would have been subject to approval from two doctors and an expert panel. Labour MP Lauren Edwards, who reintroduced the Bill after the previous legislation ran out of parliamentary time earlier this year, had warned that rejecting it could mean the issue would not return to Parliament for another decade. MPs have rejected plans to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults (Picture: Getty Images) The Government remained neutral on the Bill, meaning MPs were free to vote according to their consciences rather than along party lines. Prime Minister Andy Burnham had also said he would not vote, arguing that doing so could ‘unduly influence the debate’. Opponents of the legislation said it did not contain sufficient safeguards and warned vulnerable people could be coerced into choosing an assisted death because they felt they were a burden on their families. The Bill had faced opposition from religious leaders, including the Archbishop of Westminster, Richard Moth, who described it as ‘wrong in principle’ and ‘deeply flawed’. The Church of England’s Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, had also spoken out against the proposals. Medical organisations also raised concerns. The Terminally Ill Adults Bill was defeated by just 16 votes following more than four hours of debate on Friday (Picture: Getty Images) The Royal College of Psychiatrists said there were ‘too many unanswered questions about the safeguarding of people with mental illness’. Mr Burnham had previously argued that funding for palliative care needed to be addressed before assisted dying could be legalised. However, Bill sponsor Ms Edwards insisted the two issues could be tackled at the same time. Charities including Marie Curie, Hospice UK and St Christopher’s Hospice have remained neutral on the principle of assisted dying. But they have repeatedly warned that access to high-quality end-of-life care remains inconsistent across the country and that the sector is struggling with a lack of funding. They said: ‘The need for more urgent and ambitious action to fix end-of-life care could not be clearer.’ The vote followed demonstrations outside Parliament, with supporters and opponents of assisted dying gathering to make their views heard as MPs debated the controversial legislation. The defeat means assisted dying will remain illegal in England and Wales under the current law. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

The draft legislation had proposed allowing adults, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death.

Four terminally ill women stage a protest outside the Houses of Parliament in April.Assisted dying will not become legal in England and Wales after MPs rejected it.After nearly five hours of at-times emotional debate in the House of Commons, they voted 286 v 270 not to pass the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at second reading.Under the legislation, adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live would have been able to apply for an assisted death subject to the approval of two doctors and an expert panel.Supporters said it will allow terminally ill patients who wish to end their lives to die with dignity at a time of their choosing.But opponents – including disabled groups  – said the legislation does not contain enough safeguards to protect vulnerable people and is open to abuse.Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.Related...Esther Rantzen Says House Of Lords Should Be Abolished As Assisted Dying Bill Faces AxeMPs Back Legalising Assisted Dying In Historic Commons VoteWhat The Assisted Dying Bill Could Mean For Patients In England And Wales

MPs have been debating a bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. The bill would allow terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to end their lives, after the approval of a panel of experts. Speaking in the Commons, Labour's Claire Hazelgrove, who is in favour of the bill, said her mother, Ruth, died alone last October after living with a rare blood cancer for half of her life. Fellow Labour MP Ashley Dalton, who has been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, said the assisted dying bill does not adequately protect people with treatable depression who also have a terminal illnessUK politics: latest updates Continue reading...