England and Wales are one step closer to legalising assisted dying after MPs approved a landmark bill to change the law. In a decisive vote, the House of Commons passed the bill by 330 to 275, allowing terminally ill patients to receive assistance from doctors to end their lives. The vote followed an emotional five-hour debate that divided all major political parties.
Sir Keir Starmer supported the bill, alongside 15 cabinet ministers, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. However, the government has maintained a neutral stance, instructing ministers to avoid involvement in the ongoing, detailed discussions about the practicalities of the law change.
Not all Labour members were in agreement, with 234 MPs voting in favour, while 147 voted against, in a free vote. Eight government ministers opposed the bill, including Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood. The government has promised to carry out a full impact assessment on how the law change would affect the NHS and the courts before the final vote takes place.
Among the Conservative MPs, 92 voted against the bill, including party leader Kemi Badenoch. However, 23 MPs, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, and Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride, supported it. Sixty-one Liberal Democrats backed the bill, but 11, including party leader Sir Ed Davey, opposed it.
The Scottish National Party abstained from voting, as the change does not apply to Scotland. The Green Party was the only non-Northern Ireland party to unanimously support the bill, with all four MPs voting in favour. Even the five MPs from Reform UK were divided, with leader Nigel Farage opposing the bill and deputy leader Richard Tice in support.
Campaigners supporting the bill have hailed it as a significant step toward giving people more control over their end-of-life decisions. However, the bill still faces several stages before becoming law, and supporters anticipate that assisted dying may not be available to those with a terminal diagnosis for at least three years.
If the bill is enacted, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood will be tasked with overseeing the implementation of assisted dying. The process will require each patient's case to gain approval from two doctors and a judge.
How did South Asian MPs vote
As reported by Asian Voice last week, the proposed assisted dying bill has sparked significant debate, particularly among various faith communities. In South Asian cultures, life is often regarded as sacred and not to be interfered with.
Ahead of the vote, a coalition of 29 faith leaders came together to oppose the legislation, marking the largest religious intervention on the issue to date. They expressed concerns that the bill could create societal pressures on vulnerable individuals, potentially making them feel obligated to end their lives to avoid being a burden on their families or the NHS. The coalition warned that a "right to die" could dangerously shift toward a "duty to die."
With the votes now in, it is evident that many ethnic minority MPs share similar reservations. Over half of the MPs voted against the bill, with Muslim MPs comprising a significant proportion of the opposition. Even before the vote, Muslim MPs faced scrutiny, with some allegedly being "singled out" for their stance against the legislation. The controversy intensified when Lord Charlie Falconer, a member of the House of Lords and former Labour cabinet minister, accused Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood of "imposing her religious beliefs on everybody else" by opposing the bill.
Sikh MPs also played a notable role in opposing the legislation, with a majority voting against it. On the Conservative side, Shivani Raja, MP for Leicester, opposed the bill, while the former Prime Minister supported it. Among Labour MPs, those who voted against the legislation included Satvir Kaur, Valerie Vaz, Apsana Begum, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Rupa Huq, Rushanara Ali, Naushabah Khan, Seema Malhotra, Naz Shah, Zarah Sultana, and Priti Patel.
Conversely, Labour MPs Uma Kumaran, Lisa Nandy, Kanishka Narayan, Jeevun Sandher, and Tulip Siddiq were among those who supported the bill. The division of opinion highlights the complex interplay of personal beliefs, cultural values, and political considerations surrounding this contentious issue.
Big question: How will the NHS and courts cope?
Cabinet ministers have privately expressed concerns that the push to legalise assisted dying could overshadow the government’s priorities and strain the country’s already struggling public services, particularly the justice system and the NHS. Despite the landmark parliamentary vote, ministers have yet to commit to funding the cost of assisted dying within the NHS.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has cautioned that allocating NHS resources to assisted dying could detract from other critical areas of the health budget. Meanwhile, Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden stated that no decisions have been made regarding how to finance the process. The government has not yet conducted a full assessment of the proposed law’s impact, which mandates approval by at least two doctors before an application can proceed to a court hearing. The NHS may also be tasked with organising and funding the end-of-life process.
Concerns are mounting over the readiness of public services to handle such a profound legal shift. Some criticism has been directed at Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, for allegedly obstructing preparatory work on the issue ahead of the second reading of the assisted dying bill. Both Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Wes Streeting, who voted against the legislation, are expected to commission an impact assessment to evaluate the potential effects on the health and justice systems.
MPs on both sides of the assisted dying debate have united in calling for significant improvements to palliative care, emphasising its importance regardless of whether parliament ultimately decides to legalise assisted dying. They argue that enhancing end-of-life care is essential to ensure dignity and support for terminally ill patients and their families, irrespective of the outcome of the legislative process.
