Members of Parliament have rejected proposals to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, bringing the latest legislative effort to an end. The vote saw 270 MPs in favour of the bill and 286 against it.
This outcome follows previous votes where MPs had twice supported similar bills. The number of supportive votes fell by 45 compared to a vote in June, where 315 MPs were in favour and 291 against.
Reasons for the decline in support include some MPs changing their minds, such as Labour MP Janet Daby, who stated her conscience was not at peace with her previous backing of the bill. The influence of Andy Burnham, who is not supportive of assisted dying, may also have been a factor for Labour MPs, particularly as Sir Keir Starmer, then Prime Minister, had supported the bill previously.
Despite the rejection, supporters of a change in the law, including Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the original legislation last year, have stated they plan to try again, potentially as soon as next year.