Home · Politics · Sep 11 archive
MPs to Vote on Assisted Dying Bill in England and Wales
Confirmed
In Short: MPs in the UK are set to vote on a bill that would legalize assisted dying in England and Wales, with supporters and opponents presenting their cases as the legislation faces a new hurdle in Parliament.
Assisted dying for terminally ill adults could move closer to legalisation in England and Wales as MPs prepare to vote on a new bill. Labour MP Lauren Edwards, the bill's sponsor, said there was a 'real human cost to the delay' in passing the legislation, while opponents argue it lacks sufficient safeguards.
Opponents of the bill, including the Church of England and some medical organizations, have raised concerns about the lack of adequate protections, particularly for vulnerable individuals. However, supporters, such as high-profile campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, argue that her own life with terminal cancer has become 'unbearable' and that the bill should be supported.
During the last parliamentary session, the bill was brought forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and cleared the House of Commons on 20 June 2025 with a majority of 23. Backers of the bill accused some peers of using delaying tactics to block the proposal, while critics argued it was not fit for purpose due to a lack of safeguards.
Edwards is spearheading a new effort to get the bill through Parliament, with Friday's second reading debate allowing MPs to consider the main principles of the bill. If they vote in favour, it will have cleared its first major hurdle and the next stage will allow MPs to consider possible amendments at committee stage.
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
- Assisted dying for terminally ill adults could move closer to legalisation in England and Wales as MPs prepare to vote on a new bill. Labour MP Lauren Edwards, the bill's sponsor, said there was a 'real human cost to the delay' in passing the legislation, while opponents argue it lacks sufficient safeguards.
- Opponents of the bill, including the Church of England and some medical organizations, have raised concerns about the lack of adequate protections, particularly for vulnerable individuals. However, supporters, such as high-profile campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, argue that her own life with terminal cancer has become 'unbearable' and that the bill should be supported.
- During the last parliamentary session, the bill was brought forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and cleared the House of Commons on 20 June 2025 with a majority of 23. Backers of the bill accused some peers of using delaying tactics to block the proposal, while critics argued it was not fit for purpose due to a lack of safeguards.
- Edwards is spearheading a new effort to get the bill through Parliament, with Friday's second reading debate allowing MPs to consider the main principles of the bill. If they vote in favour, it will have cleared its first major hurdle and the next stage will allow MPs to consider possible amendments at committee stage.
What's still developing
- Labour MP Ashley Dalton said she did not support the bill first time around and it "remains deeply flawed and unsafe".
- The leader of Catholics in England and Wales, Archbishop Richard Moth, called the proposal "wrong in principle" and "deeply flawed".
- The Church of England's Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, wrote in the Telegraph that it would signal "we are a society that believes that some lives are not worth living".
- Some medical organisations, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians, have also said they have "concerns" about the bill's built-in guardrails.
- Marie Curie, Hospice UK and St Christopher's hospice charity have all said they are neutral on the principle of assisted dying, but have repeatedly warned that access to quality of end-of-life care is too patchy across the country and the sector is severely lacking in funding.
- Labour MPs Gareth Snell, who backed the bill last time, and Dame Meg Hillier, a prominent opponent of assisted dying, have co-signed a letter to colleagues voicing their concerns over the risks of the possible use of the Parliament Acts.
- Edwards has argued she does not want to use the Parliament Acts but MPs passing an identical bill would force peers to scrutinise the legislation without being able to halt its progress.