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Stroud MP 'Disappointed' as Assisted Dying Bill Voted Down by MPs
The bill would have let terminally ill, mentally competent adults seek help to die, but opponents said the safeguards were not strong enough.
On Friday, September 11, MPs in the House of Commons rejected the Terminally Ill Adults Bill by 16 votes, with 286 opposing and 270 supporting the measure. The legislation would have allowed terminally ill adults in England and Wales to seek assisted dying.
The legislation sought to allow mentally competent adults with fewer than six months to live to seek assistance ending their lives. Approval required verification from two doctors and an expert panel to address safeguard concerns.
Opponents, including the Royal College and Archbishop Richard Moth, raised 'serious concerns' regarding insufficient safeguards. Critics argued the Bill could pressure vulnerable individuals to end their lives, calling it 'wrong in principle' and 'deeply flawed.'
Sarah Wootton, CEO of Dignity in Dying, called the defeat 'deeply disappointing' but said the campaign would continue. Campaigner Catie Fenner expressed a 'wave of sadness,' describing the outcome as unfair for terminally ill people fearing their final days.
Westminster MPs refused to follow the lead of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, which have legalized assisted dying. Focus now shifts toward improving palliative care for all patients who need it, wherever they live.