The House of Commons on Friday rejected another attempt to legalize medically assisted suicide, voting 286 against the proposal and 270 in favor.
The bill was introduced by Labour MP Lauren Edwards. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he supports the principle of assisted suicide but believes improving Britain’s uneven palliative care system should take priority.
The vote followed an earlier failed effort this year to change the law. A separate bill introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater passed the House of Commons by a narrow margin but failed to complete its passage through the House of Lords amid concerns from peers about whether its safeguards were sufficient.
Some MPs who had previously backed the Leadbeater bill later said they could not support Edwards’ proposal, despite the two measures being broadly similar.
During the Commons debate before Friday’s vote, Labour MP Janet Daby said she had “nightmares about dying and death” after supporting the earlier legislation.
“I had to wrestle with myself, knowing that I was not entirely comfortable with the decision I had made, and my conscience was not at peace, and I cannot again, in good conscience, vote for the bill,” she said.
The defeat represented a notable shift in Parliament, coming about a year after MPs voted 314 to 291 in favor of a closely comparable assisted suicide measure.
Ross Hendry, CEO of the Christian advocacy group CARE, welcomed the result and said he believed God had answered the prayers of those opposed to the legislation.
Hendry said another attempt to legalize assisted suicide during the current Parliament was “highly unlikely.”
“Parliament has expressed a clear desire to tackle long-running problems in the provision of palliative and social care services. CARE has historically advocated for greater access to palliative care, and we will continue to do so,” he said.
“And we will be vigilant against any future attempts to pass assisted suicide legislation in each region of the United Kingdom. But today is a day to give thanks that England and Wales have been spared, for now, the horror of assisted suicide being legalized. We give God all the glory!”
