Assisted dying bill for England and Wales faces new Commons vote
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By Richard Wheeler and Tabby Wilson
Published 11 September 2026, 03:05 BST
Updated 1 hour ago
The legalisation of assisted dying in England and Wales could progress further on Friday when MPs vote on a proposal to introduce it.
The bill would enable adults with less than six months to live to apply for help ending their own life, subject to specific safeguards.
Labour MP Lauren Edwards, the bill’s sponsor, emphasized the "real human cost" of the delay in enacting this legislation but opponents argue it lacks sufficient safeguards, especially for vulnerable individuals.
The previous attempt to amend the law was supported by MPs but stalled in the House of Lords earlier this year after peers proposed over 1,200 amendments.
Edwards stated her request to MPs is to send the same legislation "back to the House of Lords so they can complete what they started." She added:
"The Lords has an important role in scrutinizing, refining, and often improving legislation… Let them amend this bill if they choose to and return it to MPs for a final decision. That is how democratic decisions are made."
Dame Esther Rantzen, a well-known advocate for assisted dying, urged MPs to support the bill, sharing her own experience with terminal cancer and the difficulty of accessing assisted suicide clinics abroad.
Why are MPs voting on assisted dying again?
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Safeguards within the bill include doctor approval and expert panel review but critics maintain there are too few measures protecting vulnerable individuals from coercion. Some argue that enhancing palliative care should be prioritized instead.
Labour MP Ashley Dalton expressed her continued opposition, stating the bill "remains deeply flawed and unsafe" while Archbishop Richard Moth (Catholics in England and Wales) characterized it as "wrong in principle" and "deeply flawed."
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, wrote that legalizing assisted dying would signal a society valuing some lives less than others.
While medical organizations like the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians have expressed concerns about the bill’s safeguards,
Hospice UK, Marie Curie, and St Christopher’s Hospice have taken a neutral stance on assisted dying but stressed the need for improved end-of-life care across the UK.
