What has happened to the assisted dying bill?

Why is this a private members' bill?

Private members’ bills (PMBs) are bills introduced by MPs and peers who are not government ministers and provide an opportunity for backbenchers from all parties to pass their own legislation. They have been used in the past to introduce legislation on social reform – such as the legalisation of abortion in 1967. However the use of PMBs in this period was largely an exception; more recently the government has chosen to introduce its own legislation on similar issues such as civil partnerships and same-sex marriage while leaving MPs free to vote with their conscience. PMBs have instead been used most commonly for narrow, technical issues or as handout bills by the government.

The Cabinet is split on the issue of assisted dying, which makes it tricky – but not impossible – to introduce as a government bill. Instead, at the start of the 2024-2026 parliamentary session, Kim Leadbeater was picked first in the PMB ballot. She to introduce the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which had its first reading in October 2024. Lauren Edwards was chosen second in the ballot at the start of the parliamentary session in 2026 and confirmed she would bring the bill back.

What happened to the bill in the 2024-26 parliamentary session?

Below are some of the key stages the bill went through:

• After being drawn first in the 2024–25 PMB ballot, Kim Leadbeater introduced her Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill into the House of Commons on 16 October. The bill received its first reading; a formal stage when the title of the bill is read but there is no debate. 
• The bill received its second reading on 29 November, following a debate which provided the opportunity for MPs to debate the principle of the legislation. Passing this stage was a key hurdle – the bill avoided being ‘talked out’ (filibustered) and MPs voted by 330 to 275 – on an unwhipped vote – for it to continue to be considered by parliament.
• Following second reading, the Commons sent the bill to a public bill committee for more detailed clause by clause scrutiny. As a first for a private members bill PBC, the committee was given the powers by MPs to take evidence at this stage.
• The bill returned to the House of Commons for report stage, which very unusually took place over three days. It initially returned on 16 May but because members did not have time to consider both groups of amendments the debate continued on 13 June and then returned on 20 June for outstanding votes from report stage before it had its third reading – which it passed. 
• The bill then passed to the House of Lords and received second reading there on 12 and 19 September 2025. 
• Due to an amendment at second reading, a Lords select committee was tasked with taking evidence on the bill, before the bill commenced its committee stage.
• The bill began committee stage in the House of Lords on 14 November 2025 where over 1,200 amendments were tabled. Extra sitting days were added to give members more time to consider the vast number of amendments. 
• After 14 days of debate in committee stage in the Lords the bill ran out of time before the end of the parliamentary session. As PMBs cannot be carried over into the next session, the bill fell and did not become law.

What could happen next?

The bill has been reintroduced as a private members bill in this session. Supporters of the bill have suggested that the Parliament Acts to get the bill through and bypass opposition in the House of Lords. The Parliament Acts are rarely used – they have been used only four times since 1990, most recently in 2004 to overrule Lords objection to banning fox hunting – and have never been used for a PMB..

There are certain requirements that must be met in order for the Parliament Act to be used. Crucially MPs must pass the same bill in the House of Commons in two successive parliamentary sessions - there are exceptions for minor technical changes made necessary by the passage of time, and amendments agreed by the Lords in the first session. The bill introduced by Lauren Edwards must therefore be identical to the bill that the Commons passed at third reading in June 2025. MPs can make use of ‘suggested amendments’ for the Lords to consider ⁴ www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/assisted-dying-suggested-amendments-parliament-act , but if the bill once again fails to make it through the stages in the Lords and the Parliament Act is used then MPs will not have an opportunity to amend the legislation themselves.

How is assisted dying being legislated elsewhere?

Legislation to allow assisted dying has been approved in the Crown Dependencies of Jersey and the Isle of Man. In both places the legislation requires the UK government to process the legislation for it to receive Royal Assent. The legislation in the Isle of Man was passed by the Tynwald – parliament of the Isle of Man – in March 2025. In April 2026, the UK government raised some issues with the legislation which the Tynwald would need to fix before it can be approved. The legislation in Jersey was approved by the States Assembly in February 2026 but has not yet had a response from the UK government.

The legislation in the Isle of Man was introduced as a private members bill, in a similar process to Kim Leadbeater’s bill. However in Jersey the legislation was introduced by the Government of Jersey to the States Assembly after a programme of consultation which included a citizens’ jury in 2021 which itself was convened in response to a public petition. The citizens’ jury recommended assisted dying be permitted under specific circumstances in Jersey.

The Scottish parliament also considered legislation on assisted dying. The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill was introduced as a members' bill – similar to a PMB this is a proposal for legislation by an individual MSP who is not a government minister. This bill was voted down by MSPs at the final vote in March 2026.

The different legislation introduced in Scotland, the UK and approved in Jersey and the Isle of Man are not the same as each other. There are different considerations for example on residency requirements to access assisted dying and approval processes.

In Wales, the Senedd voted in favour of assisted dying services being made available on the Welsh NHS – a devolved matter – which means if the parliament in Westminster passes legislation on assisted dying in England and Wales it can be provided by the NHS in Wales. If they had not approved it, assisted dying would have only been available through private providers in Wales. 

The Northern Ireland assembly is not considering any legislation relating to assisted dying.