Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
The British Parliament defeated the Edwards assisted suicide bill today (September 9) by a vote of 286 to 270. This is a great reason to celebrate.
We especially congratulate our friends at the Care Not Killing Alliance who have worked for so long to defeat this bill and previous bills.
EPC letter sent to members of the British parliament (Link).
Some background
The Edwards assisted suicide bill was introduced on June 17, 2026 and was nearly identical to the Leadbeater bill that passed in the British parliament on November 29, 2024 by a vote of 330 to 275.
The Leadbeater assisted suicide bill was fatally flawed and timed-out in the British House of Lords earlier this year.
What changed between November 29, 2024 and September 11, 2026?
As already stated, the Leadbeater bill passed in the House of Commons in November 2024 but stalled in the House of Lords. During the House of Lords debate multiple flaws and concerns with the bill were uncovered. Even though the Leadbeater bill was flawed, Edwards introduced a nearly identical bill in order to invoke the Parliaments Act which states that if two nearly identical bills are passed in the House of Commons in two consequtive parliaments then it would not be required to be approved by the House of Lords.
Some background
The Edwards assisted suicide bill was introduced on June 17, 2026 and was nearly identical to the Leadbeater bill that passed in the British parliament on November 29, 2024 by a vote of 330 to 275.
The Leadbeater assisted suicide bill was fatally flawed and timed-out in the British House of Lords earlier this year.
What changed between November 29, 2024 and September 11, 2026?
As already stated, the Leadbeater bill passed in the House of Commons in November 2024 but stalled in the House of Lords. During the House of Lords debate multiple flaws and concerns with the bill were uncovered. Even though the Leadbeater bill was flawed, Edwards introduced a nearly identical bill in order to invoke the Parliaments Act which states that if two nearly identical bills are passed in the House of Commons in two consequtive parliaments then it would not be required to be approved by the House of Lords.
Edwards was hoping to get her assisted suicide bill passed and prevent the bill from having to be debated in the House of Lords.
Another change was that Keir Starmer was the British Prime Minister during the Leadbeater assisted suicide bill debate. Starmer was a long-time promoter of assisted suicide.
Due to his drop in popularity, Starmer resigned as Prime Minister and Andy Burnham became the new Prime Minister.
Unlike Starmer, Burnham is not a strong supporter of assisted suicide. In late July Burnham, while speaking with reporters after a speech at a Jewish Care facility about social care reform commented on the upcoming assisted suicide debate. Burnham stated at (11:34):
 |
| Keir Starmer - Andy Burnham |
Due to his drop in popularity, Starmer resigned as Prime Minister and Andy Burnham became the new Prime Minister.
Unlike Starmer, Burnham is not a strong supporter of assisted suicide. In late July Burnham, while speaking with reporters after a speech at a Jewish Care facility about social care reform commented on the upcoming assisted suicide debate. Burnham stated at (11:34):
"I take the view that the debate, and I don't say that there shouldn't be a debate at some point about those issues, personally I think that there is something that needs to happen first and that's the fixing of the funding of palliative care and social care.
I think it is very challenging to introduce that wider debate in a context of people not receiving that care and having the peace of mind about that care.”
Burnham did not say that he opposed assisted suicide but he did say that improvements to end-of-life care should come first, before Britain considers assisted suicide.
Burnham later stated that members of the governing Labour party were not going to be pressured to vote for the assisted suicide bill.
Finally, stories about Canada's euthanasia law continue to circulate in Britain. The assisted suicide lobby has tried to "undo" the damage from Canada's euthanasia reality but the multitude of stories make it impossible to negate the truth, that legalizing assisted suicide, even a law that is "tighter" than the Canadian law, will result in expansion over time.
The battle is not over in Britain, but the victories are worth celebrating.
In March 2026, Scotland's parliament rejected the McArthur assisted suicide bill by a vote of 69 to 57 and today, the British parliament rejected the Edwards assisted suicide bill by a vote of 286 to 270.
Burnham later stated that members of the governing Labour party were not going to be pressured to vote for the assisted suicide bill.
Finally, stories about Canada's euthanasia law continue to circulate in Britain. The assisted suicide lobby has tried to "undo" the damage from Canada's euthanasia reality but the multitude of stories make it impossible to negate the truth, that legalizing assisted suicide, even a law that is "tighter" than the Canadian law, will result in expansion over time.
The battle is not over in Britain, but the victories are worth celebrating.
In March 2026, Scotland's parliament rejected the McArthur assisted suicide bill by a vote of 69 to 57 and today, the British parliament rejected the Edwards assisted suicide bill by a vote of 286 to 270.
No comments:
Post a Comment