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MPs to Vote on Assisted Dying Bill in England and Wales
Confirmed
In Short: MPs will vote on a bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales on Friday, following a previous vote in the House of Commons.
Proposals to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales are set to be debated in Parliament, following a previous vote in the House of Commons that passed with a majority of 23 in June 2024.
Supporters of the bill argue for its implementation, while critics raise concerns about the lack of sufficient safeguards to protect vulnerable individuals.
Labour MP Lauren Edwards, who has reintroduced an identical bill, aims to push the House of Lords to 'finish the job' by addressing the bill's final stages.
The debate, scheduled to begin at 09:30 BST, will run until 14:30 BST, with a vote expected before the cut-off time.
While some campaigners, including Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen, advocate for the law to be changed, others, such as actor Liz Carr, call for MPs to reject the bill due to safeguarding concerns.
Background
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Located on the island of Great Britain, it is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic Sea to the south-west.
What's confirmed
- Proposals to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales are set to be debated in Parliament, following a previous vote in the House of Commons that passed with a majority of 23 in June 2024.
- Supporters of the bill argue for its implementation, while critics raise concerns about the lack of sufficient safeguards to protect vulnerable individuals.
- Labour MP Lauren Edwards, who has reintroduced an identical bill, aims to push the House of Lords to 'finish the job' by addressing the bill's final stages.
- The debate, scheduled to begin at 09:30 BST, will run until 14:30 BST, with a vote expected before the cut-off time.
- While some campaigners, including Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen, advocate for the law to be changed, others, such as actor Liz Carr, call for MPs to reject the bill due to safeguarding concerns.
What's still developing
- "I can't tell someone not to go to their sister's wedding," said one MP leading efforts to persuade backers of the bill to vote.
- Edwards made clear from the start that she wanted to bring forward a bill that was identical to the one approved by the Commons in June last year.
- Gareth Snell, a Labour MP who backed the bill last time, has signed a letter to Labour MPs saying he had "a profound concern" at the possibility of using the Parliament Acts.
- "This is an extraordinary risk for us to take," he said in a letter co-signed with Dame Meg Hillier, a prominent opponent of assisted dying.
- "Whatever happens on Friday this isn't the end of assisted dying," one said.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will not vote on the bill on Friday, noting he has his "own personal views on the issue" but it was "a matter for Parliament to decide".
- In July, Burnham said the funding of palliative and social care should be "fixed" before assisted dying is considered in England and Wales.
- The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill would allow adults with fewer than six months to live to apply to be given help to end their own life.