A landmark assisted dying bill in England and Wales has run out of parliamentary time in the House of Lords, effectively killing the legislation for now. However, supporters insist the debate is far from over and promise to bring the issue back.
The bill, introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, had cleared the House of Commons in a historic vote in June 2025, with 314 MPs in favor and 291 against. It was seen as a major step similar to past conscience votes on abortion and gay marriage. But in the Lords, hundreds of amendments were tabled, and the chamber ran out of time to debate and vote on them all.
Supporters of the bill expressed frustration, arguing that a small group of peers had used procedural tactics to block the will of the elected House. Opponents countered that the Lords was doing its job by scrutinizing flawed legislation.
The bill cannot be brought back in the next session automatically, but another MP could introduce an identical bill if they win the annual private members' bill ballot. Advocates claim over 100 MPs are ready to support it, with another 100 potentially persuadable. Some have even suggested using the Parliament Act to bypass the Lords in the future, though that would be unprecedented for a backbench bill.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Parliament has rejected assisted dying, while the Isle of Man and Jersey have approved their own bills, which have yet to receive royal assent.
For now, the bill in England and Wales is dead, but the emotional and complex debate on assisted dying is certain to return to Parliament.