What accounts for the decline in parliamentary backing for the assisted dying bill compared to just a year ago?
Several factors contributed to the weakening support for the legislation.
Some MPs have reversed their previous positions. Janet Daby, the Labour MP for Lewisham East, explained to the Commons that after earlier endorsing the bill, “my conscience was not at peace, and I cannot again, in good conscience, vote for the bill.”
However, those who changed their minds represented only a small fraction of the total.
For other Labour MPs, the influence of Andy Burnham may have weighed on their decision. When the House last voted collectively on assisted dying, Sir Keir Starmer was Prime Minister and backed the bill.
Burnham, by contrast, opposes it. For Labour MPs seeking to align with Downing Street’s priorities, abstention may have appeared the more palatable course of action.
Additional factors also kept some sympathetic MPs from attending the vote. A wedding, for instance, drew at least one MP away from Westminster, while a trip to Ukraine meant others were unable to be present.
Advocates of the legislation have already pledged to press on. Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP who introduced the original bill last year, has told the BBC that another attempt could come as early as next year.
Supporters described the current parliament—with its large proportion of Labour MPs generally favourable to assisted dying—as a “unique moment” to enact the change.
“This result doesn’t mean there isn’t still a majority in parliament in favour of the principle of assisted dying,” said one of those behind the bill.
For now, however, the momentum behind a change in the law has visibly diminished.
That outcome draws relief from those who believe such a reform could endanger vulnerable people, while representing a bitter disappointment to those who regard it as a necessary and compassionate alternative to the status quo.
That frustration from supporters is directed in part at the House of Lords.
It was the efforts of opponents in the upper chamber that ultimately sealed the bill’s defeat—and it could accelerate calls for reform of Parliament’s second chamber.
