Local MP Robbie Moore has voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, warning that stronger safeguards are needed before any such law could be considered safe.
The Bill returned to the House of Commons today, Friday 11th September, for its Second Reading, where it was defeated by 286 votes to 270.
It was first introduced to Parliament on 16 October 2024 by Kim Leadbeater MP, with the aim of allowing terminally ill adults to request assistance to end their own life, subject to a series of safeguards and protections.
But the Bill ran out of parliamentary time, failing to complete its passage through both the House of Commons and the House of Lords before the previous parliamentary session ended in April 2026.
The Bill was subsequently reintroduced by Lauren Edwards MP on 17th June 2026. It received its First Reading before Parliament broke for the summer recess, paving the way for today’s Second Reading.
In the weeks leading up to the debate, Mr Moore received huge volumes of correspondence from local residents sharing deeply personal experiences, views and concerns about the proposed legislation.
Today’s Second Reading saw a powerful and wide-ranging debate, with MPs from across the political spectrum sharing candid and deeply personal accounts of their own experiences and those of people close to them.
Having previously voted against the Bill, Robbie Moore voted against it again today, citing ongoing concerns about the strength of its safeguards, the removal of the requirement for High Court judge oversight of each application, the delay to implementation until at least 2029, and concerns raised by a number of NHS medical bodies.
Following the vote, Robbie personally wrote to everyone who had contacted him about the Bill, thanking them for sharing their stories and setting out his reasons for voting against it.
In his letter to local residents, Robbie Moore MP said:
“Having been at the bedside of two close family members as they passed away from cancer, I understand how deeply personal and emotive this issue is for both patients and their loved ones. The correspondence I have received from constituents has been profoundly moving, and I have carefully considered the experiences, concerns and opinions shared with me.
“Whilst I am not opposed in principle to the legalisation of assisted dying in carefully controlled and transparent circumstances, I believe that any such legislation must contain robust safeguards and protections to prevent coercion, exploitation or undue pressure on vulnerable people.
“It was for this reason that I voted against the Bill last year, and why I voted against it again today. While some amendments sought to strengthen the safeguards within the Bill, I remained concerned that a number of fundamental issues had not been adequately addressed. These are not issues that can simply be resolved through amendments at a later stage — the safeguards need to be robust, clear and capable of protecting vulnerable people from the outset.
“The defeat of the Bill today means that it will not proceed further in its current form. However, given the significance of this issue, I believe it is important that any future proposals are subject to thorough scrutiny and careful consideration, with the views of patients, families, medical professionals and the wider public properly taken into account.”
You can read Mr Moore's letter to residents by clicking on the below link.
