After two years of debate, and several votes, the English Parliament has rejected the legalisation of assisted suicide. The bill was introduced by Lauren Edwards, a labour MP. The text was the same as the one approved by a vote in June 2025 by 314 votes to 291. But the House of Lords had failed to adopt the text, having examined more than a thousand amendments submitted and thus being unable to reach a final vote before the end of the parliamentary session in April 2026.
The supporters of the proposed bill immediately stated their intention to reintroduce the text in the House of Commons, which occurred in July. According to the UK Parliamentary procedures, if an identical bill is adopted for a second time in the House of Commons, it becomes law at the end of the second session, even without approval by the House of Lords.
The surprise came with the vote itself. After 4 hours' debate, the English Parliament followed the example of the Scottish Parliament by reversing its previous vote. The bill was therefore rejected by 286 votes to 269. 87 MPs having abstained.
According to the BBC, some MPs changed their mind. One MP explained that she voted in favour in 2025, but "my conscience was not at peace, and I cannot, with a clear conscience, vote again in favour of the bill".
Moreover, Andy Burnham, the new Prime Minister, did not take part in the vote, contrary to his predecessor who had voted in favour of the bill.
Appointed as Prime Minister on 20th July, Andy Burnham expressed strong reservations on the timing of the bill:
"I believe that this debate – and I am not saying that there should not be a debate at some point in time on these questions - personally, I think something should happen first. In particular the securing of funding for palliative care and social care. I find it difficult to launch this broader debate in a context when people are not receiving adequate care and are not confident about such care".
Liz Carr, the actress and militant expressed her relief after the vote. Her documentary "Better off dead" highlighted the numerous failings of assisted suicide.
Ensuring the quality and accessibility of palliative care before any change in the law, is the voice of wisdom. After Scotland, the decision by the English Parliament shows that the legalisation of assisted suicide is not inevitable, that it is not progress, and that the more the decision-makers take the time to think about it, the clearer the reality becomes: it is not a good option.
It is regrettable that the French Government did not allow the French Parliament more time for the debates this year.