UK lawmakers vote against bill to legalise assisted dying

What the report says

UK lawmakers have voted down a bill that would have legalised assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales, ending the latest parliamentary attempt to change the law, Al Jazeera reported on Friday. The House of Commons rejected the proposal by 286 votes to 270, according to the outlet.

The measure, titled the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, would have allowed adults expected to live less than six months to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval from at least two doctors and an expert panel. The government stayed neutral, leaving MPs to decide according to conscience rather than party line. Prime Minister Andy Burnham did not vote, while his predecessor Keir Starmer had supported the bill.

The defeat follows a two-year debate and ends the bill’s current path through Parliament, as it failed at its first major hurdle and cannot be brought back during the present legislative session. Supporters, including Labour MP Lauren Edwards and campaign group Dignity in Dying, called the outcome a serious setback for dying people and said the issue will return. Opponents, such as Care Not Killing, argued the law should not change because of concerns about protecting vulnerable people and the need to improve palliative care.

The article noted that the Commons had previously backed assisted dying twice, but the effort did not become law. It also cited an Ipsos poll showing broad public support in principle, though often linked to better end-of-life care.