Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 12

What happened: The House of Commons voted on Amendment 12 to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 20 June 2025, a proposed modification described as strengthening protections within the assisted dying legislation. The amendment was defeated by 269 votes to 223, a margin of 46 votes.

Why it matters: Amendment 12 sought to impose additional restrictions or safeguards on the framework the Bill would establish for assisted dying in England and Wales. Its defeat means the Bill continued through its parliamentary stages without those particular protections included, preserving the version of the legislation that its supporters argued struck the right balance between access and oversight. Those who backed the amendment argued the Bill without it carried insufficient protections for vulnerable people; those who voted it down believed the existing provisions were adequate or that the amendment would have unduly restricted access to the proposed service.

The politics: The vote cut sharply across conventional party lines. Labour MPs were divided 113 in favour to 175 against, reflecting the conscience-vote nature of the Bill. Conservatives split 66 in favour to just 14 against, meaning a large majority of voting Tories backed the amendment. Liberal Democrats voted heavily against the amendment, 52 to 12. The Democratic Unionist Party's five voting members all backed the amendment, as did all five voting Reform UK members who supported it. The amendment's defeat sat within a busy day of divisions on the Bill, which ultimately passed its Third Reading the same day by 314 votes to 291, advancing assisted dying legislation further than it has ever progressed in Parliament.