UK Commons Backs Assisted Dying 314-291, Capping Week of Social Reforms

Britain’s House of Commons has approved the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill by 314 votes to 291, authorising assisted dying for mentally competent adults in England and Wales who are judged to have less than six months to live. The measure—championed by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater—allows patients to self-administer lethal medication once their request is endorsed by two independent doctors and an expert panel comprising a lawyer, psychiatrist and social worker. The bill now proceeds to the House of Lords, where peers may amend it but are not expected to block passage.

The assisted-dying proposal follows an earlier free vote this week in which MPs backed an amendment, 379 to 137, that removes criminal penalties for women who end their own pregnancies, thereby repealing sections of the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. Abortions up to 24 weeks have been legal since 1967, but women faced life imprisonment for later terminations; medical professionals who perform unlawful procedures could still be prosecuted.

Taken together, the two conscience votes mark the most sweeping liberalisation of reproductive and end-of-life laws in England and Wales in more than half a century. Polling shows broad public support for both reforms, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer was among those voting in favour. If the Lords endorse the assisted-dying bill, officials expect a four-year implementation period to establish the required safeguards and clinical protocols.