On Friday, September 11, at the second reading of the Terminally III Adults (End of Life) Bill, MPs voted in the House of Commons against legalising assisted dying in England and Wales—286 votes against and 270 in favour. Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, abstained from voting so as not to “unduly influence the debate.”
The government remained neutral, allowing MPs to vote according to their consciences. The Bill was opposed by the leaders of Labour, the Conservatives, Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats. Not a single Northern Irish MP voted for it.
On October 16, 2024, an almost identical Bill had been introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater (Private Member’s Bill, not a manifesto commitment). It passed on November 29, 2024—majority of 55 at the second reading. It passed during its third reading on June 20, 2025—majority of 23 (314 votes to 291). After the Committee stage, the Bill moved on to the House of Lords, where it ran out of time to clear all the stages before becoming law. Peers had tabled more than 1,200 amendments.
Labour MP Lauren Edwards re-introduced the Bill in June 2026. Critics argued that the Bill did not have sufficient safeguards to protect vulnerable people.
Globally, about 10 to 15 countries have legalised some form of assisted dying. “The exact number depends on whether the law allows active euthanasia (a doctor administers the medication), assisted suicide (the patient self-administers it), or court rulings that have decriminalised the practice without formal regulation.”
A poll conducted by British Polling Council Member, Whitestone Insight, the largest poll of the public undertaken in the final two weeks before the vote, showed that 82 per cent of the general public agree that Parliament should first ensure no one would feel driven towards assisted suicide because they cannot get the care and support they need at the end of life. Only eight per cent disagreed.
“The polling found widespread concern about vulnerable people being coerced or pressured into assisted suicide if it were legalised, with a strong majority agreeing that MPs should vote against the assisted suicide Bill if they have serious concerns about the impact it could have on the most vulnerable. Major medical bodies and organisations... and more than 1,000 doctors and overseas experts came out against the Bill.
“Dr Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of Care Not Killing comprising over 40 organisations, commented: ‘This was a decisive vote by MPs, who have over the last 24 months seen through the pernicious pretence that this draft legislation was safe and wouldn’t put pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives prematurely.
“We heard from numerous MPs, echoing comments made by the Prime Minister, that fixing the palliative and social care systems should be the priority for the Government, rather than pressing ahead with this dangerous and ideological piece of legislation that did not have the support of a single major doctors’ or disability rights group...we heard again the concerns of the UK’s amazing network of hospices, which saw this bill as a disastrous distraction.
“Our hope is that MPs now focus on repairing palliative care in the UK and securing the necessary funding to make sure that no matter what part of the country you live in, you can access the best possible care available and are treated with dignity and respect.’ “ (Independent Catholic News).
In opposing the Bill, Archbishop John Sherrington, Lead Bishop for Life Issues for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW), said: “The Catholic Church opposes this Bill in principle and joins with many other people of faith and none in arguing that we should not cross this watershed...Recent debates have exposed the uneven provision of palliative care across the country. Surely what is now needed to help the terminally ill is an improvement in compassionate, high-quality palliative care, and proper hospice funding.”
The Catholic Church teaches that “life is a gift from God and remains equally valuable even in times of suffering.”
Both assisted suicide and euthanasia are morally wrong. They are a violation of the sanctity of life, since they involve the deliberate termination of human life. Pope Francis had said: “The sick, the vulnerable and the poor are at the heart of the Church’ and thus it is our duty to protect them.
“Legalising assisted suicide or euthanasia would also send a strong message that people who are suffering are less worthy than other members of our community” (CBCEW).
