Landmark moment for choice and compassion as MPs back assisted dying bill in historic Commons vote

Today (Friday 20 June), the House of Commons voted decisively to pass Kim Leadbeater MP’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at Third Reading, marking a historic turning point in the campaign for a safe and compassionate assisted dying law.

The Bill – which would give terminally ill, mentally competent adults in England and Wales the choice of an assisted death – was passed by a cross-party majority of 23 MPs following months of detailed scrutiny.

After decades of debate across consecutive parliaments and in the public sphere, the vote represents the furthest a decisive step towards law change in Westminster. The momentum now shifts to the House of Lords, which has historically supported reform, for further debate. 

Its formal introduction to the Lords (known as First Reading) is expected on Monday 23 June, with a date not yet set for the first debate and vote on the proposals at Second Reading.  

Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying, said:

“Today’s vote is a landmark moment for choice, compassion and dignity at the end of life. MPs have listened to dying people, to bereaved families and to the public, and have voted decisively for the reform that our country needs and deserves.

“This vote will go down in history as the moment Parliament finally caught up with the public. The momentum behind change is now unstoppable; a credit to this people-powered movement for choice.

“Thousands across the UK have campaigned for this reform, many sharing painful personal stories of watching loved ones suffer under the current law. Their courage and determination brought us to this point, and I know how much this result will mean to so many families. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to them.

“Three quarters of the public back this change. Today’s result sends a clear message: Parliament stands with the public and law change is coming.”

Ahead of the debate, new YouGov research confirmed that public support for legalising assisted dying has remained overwhelmingly high since the Bill’s Second Reading in November, with around three-quarters of people (72%) backing Kim Leadbeater’s proposals.

Outside, on Parliament Square, supporters assembled in their hundreds to send a powerful message of backing for the Bill. Terminally ill people and bereaved families affected by the ban on assisted dying watched the debate from the public gallery, with several MPs referencing them in speeches.

It is widely acknowledged by experts, last year’s Health Select Committee Inquiry into assisted dying, and many MPs’ contributions today, that the current blanket ban on assisted dying means terminally ill people suffer despite the best care, take drastic action to end their own lives, or travel at huge cost to die in a foreign country. The new Bill would replace this with a robust, regulated, evidence-based system based on models proven to work safely – with no widening beyond terminal illness – in places around the world, including Australia.

MPs have spent more than 100 hours debating and scrutinising the Bill clause by clause, strengthening protections and incorporating best practice at every step of the process. The proposed law is widely regarded as one of the strongest assisted dying frameworks anywhere in the world, including by the Government’s own impact assessment on the Bill.

The debate has also sparked wider progress on end-of-life care. Following the Bill’s Second Reading in November, the Government announced £100 million in additional funding for hospices in England. Today, MPs built on that commitment by voting through an amendment backed by Marie Curie to further strengthen end-of-life care by mandating a national review of the state of end of life services. Dignity in Dying has welcomed this, stating that “excellent care and greater choice must go hand in hand, as jurisdictions around the world have proven”.

Sarah Wootton added:

“Kim Leadbeater has led this process with integrity, compassion and the deepest respect for all views. She deserves enormous credit for the care and thought she has put into this Bill, centring terminally ill people and their families throughout – and for pursuing a reform that will change countless lives for the better.

“We now look forward to working closely with members of the House of Lords to ensure that the public’s call for change is answered. Assisted dying reform is no longer hypothetical – it’s on its way.”

In Scotland last month, the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, proposed by Liam McArthur MSP, passed its Stage 1 vote with strong cross-party support, marking a major step forward in Holyrood. On the Isle of Man, the Assisted Dying Bill giving choice to terminally ill people has cleared all stages in both the House of Keys and the Legislative Council and is now awaiting Royal Assent, with the law expected to come into force as early as 2027. Jersey’s assisted dying bill, also limited to terminally ill residents, is expected to be debated later this year, with a vote in principle of changing the law passing in May 2024.

Ends

For media requests please contact Tom Steen, Media & Campaigns Officer at tom.steen@dignityindying.org.uk or 07356135578.