The House of Commons has rejected a bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales by 286 votes to 270, almost certainly stopping such a measure from being enacted before the next general election.
Key facts
- MPs voted 286 to 270 against the assisted dying bill at its second reading.
- The bill would have allowed terminally ill adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live to end their lives, after approval by a panel of experts.
- The legislation was reintroduced by Labour MP Lauren Edwards after earlier being blocked in the House of Lords.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed he would not vote, saying he did not want to 'unduly influence the debate'.
- Charity Marie Curie called on the government to fix a 'crisis in palliative care' regardless of the outcome.
MPs have voted against a bill that would have legalised assisted dying in England and Wales, rejecting the measure at its second reading by 286 votes to 270, according to the Guardian and Al Jazeera. The result almost certainly stops such a measure from being enacted before the next general election.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill would have allowed terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to seek medical assistance to end their lives, after the approval of a panel of experts. The reintroduced legislation was brought forward by Labour MP Lauren Edwards, according to the Guardian.
The bill returned to the Commons after a difficult journey through parliament. MPs had previously voted through near-identical legislation, brought forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, in June 2025, but it foundered in the House of Lords earlier this year after opponents tabled more than 1,280 amendments, the Guardian reported.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed ahead of the vote that he would not take part, saying he did not want to “unduly influence the debate”. The Guardian is also running an interactive tool allowing readers to check how their own MP voted.
During the debate, Sam Royston, executive director of research and policy at the charity Marie Curie, said the government must address the crisis in palliative care regardless of the outcome. “Whatever happens with assisted dying, the UK government must fix the crisis in palliative care. It is devastating that nearly one in three people die without the help they need,” he said.
Royston added that too many people spend their final days in pain or on busy, chaotic hospital wards, while families are left fighting for help. He welcomed statements from the prime minister and the government that improving palliative care must be a priority, saying everyone should have access to good quality palliative and hospice end-of-life care.
Why it matters
Assisted dying is one of the most contested questions in UK politics, touching on medical ethics, the rights of terminally ill people and the state of end-of-life care. With the bill blocked so soon after near-identical legislation passed the Commons in the last parliament, the vote effectively shelves the issue in England and Wales until at least after the next general election.
Frequently asked questions
What was the result of the assisted dying vote?
MPs in the House of Commons voted 286 to 270 to block the bill at its second reading, rejecting the legislation.
What would the bill have allowed?
It would have allowed terminally ill adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live to seek medical assistance to end their lives, after approval by a panel of experts.
Why did the previous version of the bill fail?
An earlier, near-identical bill brought forward by Kim Leadbeater passed the Commons in June 2025 but foundered in the House of Lords after opponents tabled more than 1,280 amendments.