Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 77

Friday, 20 June 2025 · Division No. 243 · Commons

275Ayes

–

209Noes

Passed

163 MPs did not vote

cross-cuttingFree votePro Assisted Dying Safeguards(Yes)Pro Assisted Dying(No)Terminal Illness Definition Strict(Yes)End Of Life Autonomy(No)

Voting Yes means

Support closing a potential loophole that could allow people to qualify for assisted dying by voluntarily stopping eating and drinking, tightening the definition of terminal illness

Voting No means

Oppose this restriction, either because the loophole concern is overstated or because the amendment could exclude some genuinely dying patients whose condition involves reduced eating and drinking

Division 2069: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, Amendment 77 20 June 2025, Passed: 275 Ayes, 209 Noes

What happened: The House of Commons voted by 275 to 209 to pass Amendment 77 to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 20 June 2025. The amendment, which passed with a majority of 66, moved the bill in a more permissive direction on assisted dying, reducing or removing certain restrictions that had been proposed during the bill's passage. The vote took place on the same day as several other closely contested divisions on the bill, as MPs worked through a series of amendments before the bill proceeded to its Third Reading later that day.

Why it matters: Amendment 77 shapes the practical conditions under which terminally ill adults could access assisted dying if the bill becomes law. By passing a more permissive version of the legislation, the amendment affects the safeguards, eligibility criteria, or procedural requirements that patients, doctors, and other healthcare professionals would need to navigate. The outcome directly influences who may qualify for an assisted death and under what circumstances, with implications for patients with terminal diagnoses, their families, and the medical professionals who would be involved in the process across England and Wales.

The politics: This was a free vote, meaning MPs voted according to personal conscience rather than party instruction, and the divisions cut across party lines in ways rarely seen on government legislation. Labour MPs split 184 in favour and 104 against, while Conservatives divided 14 in favour and 66 against. The Liberal Democrats were notably more unified in support, with 53 voting aye and 11 against. The Green Party voted unanimously in favour across their four members present. The Democratic Unionist Party and Ulster Unionist Party voted entirely against. The vote was one of several that day shaping the final form of the bill, which went on to pass its Third Reading by 314 to 291, a notably wider margin, suggesting Amendment 77 helped build momentum toward final approval.