The House of Commons in the U.K. Parliament narrowly voted in favor of legalizing euthanasia on Friday. The bill now heads to the House of Lords, where it will be voted on or expire.
The bill allows individuals to undergo medically assisted suicide if they are over age 18, live in England or Wales, have been registered with a general practitioner for at least 12 months, are expected to die within six months, have made two separate declarations affirming a wish to die, have been deemed eligible by two independent doctors, and have the “mental capacity” to make the decision without being “coerced” or “pressured.”
“Parliament has signaled its willingness to cross a dangerous moral line: allowing the intentional ending of life as a form of healthcare,” reads a statement by Robert Clarke, Director of Advocacy for Alliance Defending Freedom International. “When the state begins to endorse death as a solution to suffering, the most vulnerable — those who are elderly, disabled, depressed, or alone — will soon find themselves wondering if their lives are still worth living, or worse, if they’re expected to die.”
The bill passed the House of Commons by a majority of just 23 votes, a significant drop from the majority of 55 when it first passed in November. A total of 313 Members of Parliament voted for the “Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill” on Friday, with 224 of those being members of the Labour Party and 20 being with the Conservative Party. By contrast, 291 Members of Parliament voted against it. There were 39 abstentions. Only one Member of Parliament switched from opposing to supporting the bill since it was debated in November. The Labour Party’s Kim Leadbeater, who sponsored the bill, told BBC News that she’s “over the moon” it passed.
The bill will now head to the House of Lords for a vote.
“Constitutionally, the House of Lords has the power to reject this bill, as it’s not a bill the government has promised to enact in its manifesto nor a money bill. If the House of Lords rejects the bill, the House of Commons has the power to override it by passing the same bill in the following session of Parliament,” said Yuan Yi Zhu, assistant professor of international relations and international law at Leiden University.
Alternatively, the bill could die if parliamentary time runs out.
The Bishop of London Sarah Mullaly — member of the House of Lords and former nurse in the National Health Service — expressed opposition to the bill after the vote, stating that there is “mounting evidence” that the bill is “unworkable and unsafe.”
“If enacted, this legislation would come into force amid serious shortfalls in adult social care, a postcode lottery in palliative care and well-documented pressures on the NHS, multiplying the potential risks to the most vulnerable,” Mullaly said.
Professional medical associations, such as the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, raised concerns prior to the vote about the bill’s inadequate protections for medical practitioners and patients.
“This bill has weak safeguards for patients, few protections against coercion, little in the way of conscience protections,” Yuan Yi Zhu wrote to National Review. “It was subject to a rushed scrutiny process where key witnesses were prevented from testifying. The Lords have a perfect right to reject the bill and they should do so.”
Adam Jogee, a Labour Party Member of Parliament since 2024 who opposed the bill, released a statement saying that he was unable to get a proxy for the vote — even though he was on compassionate leave for a family member who is currently dying. He did arrive to vote in-person on Friday.
“This week our family was called to my father-in-law’s bedside as he moves towards the end of his life,” Jogee said in a statement. “Despite being on compassionate leave in recent days, I have tried my hardest to find a way to ensure my vote is cast and my voice is heard. I have spoken to Mr Speaker’s office, the Public Bill Office and the Chief Whip and the Government Whips Office about a proxy being able to vote on my behalf. l’ve been told it’s not possible.”
By contrast, Dan Norris — a Member of Parliament who was suspended from the Labour Party after being arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offenses — was able to cast a vote in favor of the euthanasia bill by proxy. Suspended Tory Party member Patrick Spencer voted by proxy to oppose the bill; Spencer plead not guilty this week to two counts of sexual assault.