UK lawmakers set final vote on legalization of assisted dying

Lucy White, Bloomberg News on Jun 20, 2025

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LONDON — The U.K.’s House of Commons will hold a final vote on Friday on whether to allow assisted dying, a move that could usher in a significant cultural shift over how to handle those with terminal illnesses.

The measure will go through its third reading with members of Parliament, with the outcome of the vote expected by 2.30 pm. While Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the bill, said she was “confident” it would pass, several of her colleagues said the result would be too close to call.

The so-called private members’ bill — which wasn’t proposed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government — would allow terminally ill people with less than six months to live to opt to end their own lives. It passed through a first reading in November with a majority of 55 votes, but the issue has become increasingly contentious, with MPs making heartfelt pleas for and against it in subsequent debates. On Thursday, four Labour MPs said they would switch sides to oppose the bill.

Opponents have said it doesn’t have strong enough safeguards to ensure that vulnerable people — instead of only those with no hope of a recovery — seek to end their lives.

Speaking at a press conference in London on Thursday, Leadbeater said her bill was “the most robust piece of legislation in the world,” but acknowledged that some people may change their mind.

“Fundamentally, I don’t anticipate that that majority would be heavily eroded,” she said. “So I do feel confident we can get through tomorrow successfully.”

Starmer has allowed his party to vote freely with their conscience on the issue, without being whipped to follow party lines, so a decision either way will not reflect on his leadership. Starmer himself backed the bill in November but has said his government would support the outcome of the vote.

Several changes have already been made to the bill in its passage through Parliament, including bans on assisted-dying advertising, replacing sign-off from the High Court on assisted dying applications with expert panels, and setting up an assisted dying commissioner to oversee the process.

After passing the Commons, the bill will still have to go through the House of Lords. The upper chamber could choose to amend it further but historically has tended not to block legislation passed by the elected house.