Britain did not adopt the euthanasia law

British MPs did not adopt a law that would have allowed terminally ill adults in England and Wales, under certain conditions, to choose assisted death, that is, euthanasia.

The proposed law for terminally ill adults stipulated that adult citizens of England and Wales with less than six months to live could request assisted death, with the consent of two doctors and a professional panel.

Had the law been adopted, its implementation would not have begun before 2031.

The proposal had previously received support from the House of Commons twice, but the majority in favor of its adoption in the second vote dropped from 55 to 23 votes. This time, the law did not receive the required majority.

The government took a neutral stance, assessing that this was a matter of conscience, so MPs, including members of the ruling Labour Party, were able to vote according to their own beliefs.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham decided not to vote so as, as he said, not to “unduly influence the debate.”

His predecessor Keir Starmer, who left parliament, supported the proposed law.

Advocates of assisted dying argued that the law would represent one of the biggest changes in social policy in the United Kingdom since the partial legalization of abortion in 1967. One of their stated goals was to prevent seriously ill citizens from traveling to countries such as Switzerland, where assisted death is permitted under certain conditions.

Opponents of the law, however, believed that it could endanger vulnerable people. They warned of the possibility of pressure or coercion on the elderly, the sick, or people with disabilities, as well as insufficient protection for patients.