MPs have rejected a renewed attempt to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales, defeating the legislation by 286 votes to 270.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced by Labour MP Lauren Edwards, failed to secure its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday.
The 16-vote defeat brings the latest attempt to change the law to an end and means the bill cannot proceed to detailed committee scrutiny.
MPs reject renewed bill
The legislation would have allowed mentally competent adults aged 18 or over who were terminally ill and reasonably expected to die within six months to request medical assistance to end their lives, subject to a series of safeguards.
The Government remained neutral on the principle of assisted dying and MPs were allowed to vote according to their conscience rather than along party lines.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham did not take part in the vote. He had previously argued that the debate over assisted dying needed to take account of the state of palliative and adult social care.
Previous attempt passed the Commons
The defeat represents a reversal from the previous parliamentary session.
An earlier version of the Terminally Ill Adults Bill was approved by MPs on 20 June 2025 by 314 votes to 291 before being sent to the House of Lords.
However, that legislation failed to complete all of its stages in the Lords before the end of the 2024-26 parliamentary session and consequently fell without becoming law.
Edwards, who was drawn second in the Private Members' Bill ballot for the new parliamentary session, reintroduced the legislation on 17 June 2026.
The new bill was substantially the same proposal, raising the possibility that supporters might ultimately have sought to use the Parliament Acts if the Commons approved it again but the Lords prevented it becoming law.
Friday's defeat in the Commons means that route is no longer relevant to this bill.
Edwards calls result 'hugely disappointing'
Following the vote, Edwards described the result as “hugely disappointing” for terminally ill people and their families who had been given hope when MPs backed the previous legislation.
Campaign group Dignity in Dying also described the defeat as a major setback but said the campaign to change the law would continue.
Opponents welcomed the result. Care Not Killing said MPs had recognised concerns that changing the law could place vulnerable people under pressure to end their lives prematurely and called for greater focus on palliative care.
Safeguards remained central to debate
The proposed legislation contained a series of safeguards intended to ensure that a decision to seek an assisted death was voluntary, informed and free from coercion.
Applicants would have needed to be resident and registered with a GP in England or Wales, have mental capacity and demonstrate a clear and settled wish to end their life.
Two doctors would have independently assessed applications before an eligible case was referred to a multidisciplinary Assisted Dying Review Panel.
Supporters argued that terminally ill adults facing intolerable suffering should have greater control over the manner and timing of their deaths.
Opponents raised concerns about coercion, protection of vulnerable people, the adequacy of palliative care and whether safeguards could prevent individuals from feeling pressure to end their lives.
Bill cannot progress this session
Because the bill was defeated at second reading, it will make no further progress through Parliament in the current session.
The existing law on assisted dying therefore remains unchanged.
The result marks another major chapter in a debate that has repeatedly returned to Parliament. MPs also rejected an attempt to legalise assisted dying in 2015.
Campaigners on both sides are likely to continue pressing their arguments, but any fresh attempt to change the law would now require new legislation in a future parliamentary session.