SEPTEMBER 11, 2026 - Lauren Edwards’ assisted dying Bill has been defeated by 286 votes to 270 in a major victory for opponents of the Bill, settling the issue in England and Wales after a two-year national debate.

Right to Life UK observed that the Bill was opposed by the leaders of Labour, the Conservatives, Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats, while not a single Northern Irish MP voted for it.

It will come as a disappointment to local MP Henry Tufnell, who told constituents that he would be voting in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at its Second Reading, to legalise assisted dying for mentally competent, terminally ill adults.

“This is an incredibly sensitive issue,” he said before the vote, “and I recognise and respect the strongly held ethical and moral positions on all sides of the debate. I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their views and personal experiences with me. Each of us brings our own lived experiences to bear on this very important and deeply personal matter. I support this Labour Government's position that this is a matter of conscience for individual MPs.

“I am still of the view that legalising assisted dying for mentally competent, terminally ill adults is the right thing to do, provided sufficient safeguards are in place,” the MP stated. “Under the current law, many people are forced to undergo prolonged suffering, while others seek assisted death alone abroad, or resort to extreme measures at home.

“I voted in favour of the Bill in the last parliamentary session after careful consideration. I was satisfied that the Bill had undergone many hours of scrutiny and debate in Parliament – more than almost any other recent Private Members’ Bill. A wide range of professionals and people with lived experience from all sides of the debate were also included in the legislative process. Oral evidence was given from over 50 expert witnesses and nearly 600 amendments were considered. Transcripts of evidence sessions are available to read on the parliament website, or you can watch the meetings on Parliament TV.

“Importantly, the Bill included safeguards against coercion. It would only have legalised assisted dying for a very limited group of people – terminally ill adults with six months or less to live, who have mental capacity, and over a sustained period want to bring forward the end of their life. It also required assessments by two doctors, and a multidisciplinary expert panel including a psychiatrist, a social worker, and a legal figure. Participating doctors and panel members would have been required to undergo specific training to help them identify and protect against people being pressured into making a decision they would not otherwise have made. The Bill also explicitly prevented doctors from discussing assisted dying with patients in isolation from other options, including palliative and hospice care, symptom management and psychological support.

“I have engaged extensively with my constituents across Pembrokeshire on this issue. Hundreds have written to me, or come to my regular surgeries to discuss their questions and concerns. I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their views with me. I will continue to consider all of them carefully.

Mr Tufnell concluded: “I still strongly believe that assisted dying should never become an alternative to high-quality palliative and end of life care. While laws on assisted dying are reserved, end-of-life care is devolved in Wales. I know that good palliative care services make a big difference to the quality of life of people with terminal illnesses. I welcomed the previous Welsh Labour Government’s commitment to investing over £10.5 million each year in end-of-life care, and I will continue to argue for the prioritisation of good and accessible palliative care by the new Welsh Government.”

After the most intense scrutiny that the question of assisted suicide has ever received in England and Wales, MPs in Westminster have rejected introducing assisted dying in a remarkable reversal of fortunes. Kim Leadbeater’s Bill was introduced into the most socially and politically progressive House of Commons in British history. Before Second Reading, it was widely thought that it would move through Parliament with very strong majorities and easily become law.

At Second Reading, in November 2024, it was voted through with a majority of 55. This dropped to a majority of 23 at Third Reading in June 2025. The Bill then moved on to the House of Lords, where it ran out of time before becoming law.

The Bill was then reintroduced in substantially the same form by Lauren Edwards MP in the House of Commons, where it has today been defeated at Second Reading.

MPs from across the political spectrum came together to oppose the Bill. The Mother and Father of the House of Commons, Labour's Diane Abbott and the Conservative Sir Edward Leigh, penned a joint article calling for MPs to unite behind fixing palliative and social care and leave this divisive debate behind.

The Bill was defeated at Second Reading, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage all uniting in their opposition to the proposals. They were joined by senior Labour figures including Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood, alongside former Public Health Minister Ashley Dalton. Jeremy Corbyn, Ayoub Khan and Rupert Lowe all judged the Bill not fit to become law.

Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, Chief Executive of Right To Life UK, a charity that opposes the introduction of assisted suicide and euthanasia, and campaigns instead for greater investment in palliative care, said:

“This is a remarkable victory for the most vulnerable in our society. They deserve protection and care, not a pathway to suicide.”

“After a two-year-long national debate, the country has decided to reject assisted suicide, settling the issue for a generation.”

“Evidence from overseas shows that, had this legislation become law, countless vulnerable people nearing the end of life would have been pressured or coerced into ending their lives”.

“MPs’ decision follows that of the Scottish Parliament earlier this year, which also decisively rejected assisted suicide in a landmark vote.”

“In both Westminster and Holyrood, parliamentary scrutiny and expert testimony have shown that assisted suicide simply cannot be legalised in a safe way that protects vulnerable people. As is tragically evident elsewhere, many vulnerable people die under assisted suicide and euthanasia laws.”

“But as this debate ends, the real fight has only just begun.”

“It is vital that MPs now unite to give full attention to fixing the fundamental issues with health and end-of-life care provision, focusing on the goal of delivering universal access to high-quality palliative care, ensuring true dignity and care for all at the end of life.”

“The postcode lottery for outstanding palliative care has gone on for too long. We must now all come together to address the challenge of providing excellent palliative care to everyone who needs it, when they need it, and wherever they live. People nearing the end of their lives deserve the best support and care, and we can and must do better.”

According to Right to Life, polling shows public support for rejection of the Bill, and they cite a long list of medical bodies and organisations came out against the Bill, including over 1,000 doctors.