Assisted Dying Bill Faces Fresh Commons Vote

MPs in England and Wales are set to hold a vote on Friday on a bill that would legalise assisted dying, as the measure seeks to pass through the Commons again after stalling in the House of Lords earlier this year.

The proposal would allow adults who have been assessed as having fewer than six months to live to apply for help to end their own life, subject to safeguards.

Key Safeguards And Criticisms

Labour MP Lauren Edwards, who is sponsoring the bill, said there is a “real human cost” to delaying changes to the law.

Under the bill, a person would need approval from two doctors and an expert panel before assisted dying could be authorised. Edwards said the legislation is ready to be scrutinised and improved further through the legislative process.

Opponents, however, argue that the bill does not include enough protections, particularly for vulnerable people. Labour MP Ashley Dalton said the bill “remains deeply flawed and unsafe”, warning that people could be pressured into requesting an assisted death.

Veteran broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen, a high-profile campaigner, urged MPs to back the bill, describing her terminal cancer diagnosis as “unbearable”. She said she had planned to travel to an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland but was unable to do so because she was “too frail”, adding that events had turned out differently from what she wanted.

Some medical organisations have also raised concerns, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians, which said they have worries about the guardrails in the bill. Others, including hospice and end-of-life care charities, have said the case for assisted dying should be considered alongside access to quality care, arguing that palliative support is too inconsistent and that the sector lacks funding.

Hospice UK chief executive Toby Porter said choice at the end of life should mean access to good palliative care, warning that too many people are denied it.

House Of Lords Route

The bill’s last attempt at legal change cleared the House of Commons but stalled in the Lords. Earlier this year, peers tabled more than 1,200 amendments, leaving the legislation unfinished.

Edwards said she wants MPs to send an identical law “back to the House of Lords so that they can finish what they started”. She argued that the Lords plays an “important role in scrutinising, refining and often improving legislation”, and said the chamber should be able to amend the bill and return it for a final decision in the Commons.

If an identical bill passes the Commons, peers could still suggest changes but would not be able to halt its progress. Edwards said this would follow the approach under the Parliament Acts, where the Lords cannot block an identical bill from being passed a second time through two successive parliamentary sessions.

A letter to MPs about the risks of the Parliament Acts procedure has been co-signed by Labour MPs Gareth Snell and Dame Meg Hillier, a prominent opponent of assisted dying. They warned MPs may be facing a “this or nothing” ultimatum on Friday.

Debate Timing And Next Steps

Friday’s second reading debate will focus on the main principles of the bill, with MPs required to begin voting before 14:30 BST. A vote in favour at this stage would clear the bill’s first major hurdle, but support could still change later. Backers note that the third reading could determine whether the bill ultimately progresses.

If MPs vote against the bill on Friday, it will fall. Supporters have said they would make another attempt to pass similar legislation as soon as possible.

The outcome is expected to be close, with the result potentially depending on how many MPs attend on a day when they would normally expect to be in their constituencies.

During the last parliamentary session, the bill was brought forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and cleared the Commons on 20 June 2025 with a majority of 23, before support weakened and it stalled in the Lords.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would not vote on Friday’s bill, describing it as “a matter for Parliament to decide” and saying the government would remain neutral.

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11 September 2026