News

Assisted dying bill: Special series #14 - MPs back assisted dying bill in historic vote - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 97

21 Jun 2025

This week, we reflect on a landmark moment in UK parliamentary history: the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has passed its Third Reading in the House of Commons, moving one step closer to legalising assisted dying in England and Wales. We are joined once again by former House of Commons Clerk Paul Evans to examine how this Private Member’s Bill navigated the political and procedural obstacles in its path and to explore what lies ahead in the House of Lords.

Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

LISTEN
Subscribe

We start with the numbers: 605 MPs took part in the Third Reading vote, an exceptionally high turnout for a Private Member’s Bill, signalling the seriousness of the issue. With a majority of 23, the Bill now advances to the House of Lords, but not without questions over the opposition’s next moves and whether the unelected chamber will respect the will of the Commons, or obstruct the Bill’s path?

This historic moment wasn’t achieved by debate alone. It was the product of a quiet but coordinated effort to protect parliamentary time and avoid the procedural ambushes that often beset Private Members’ Bills. Other backbench sponsors of Private Members Bills temporarily stood aside to give the assisted dying bill a clear route through, critics refrained from procedural sabotage, and the Speaker and his deputies helped shape a timetable, ensuring MPs knew when decisions would be made.

Now the focus turns to the Lords, where the Bill may face its toughest challenges yet. Will Peers accept that the principle of assisted dying has been established by the elected House, and limit themselves to scrutiny and amendment of the details? Or could opponents attempt to delay or even derail the Bill entirely? We explore the possible scenarios and the constitutional, political, and procedural stakes in each case.

We also look at how the extensive scrutiny of the assisted dying Bill contrasts sharply with the swift and limited debate on abortion decriminalisation earlier this week – an issue settled via a backbench amendment to the Police and Crime Bill that was debated for just 45 minutes.

Finally, we consider what this might mean for the bigger picture. If this Bill is indeed the most far-reaching social reform since the 1967 Abortion Act, might it be the harbinger of a new wave of legislation promoting further social change?

Listen on our YouTube channel (captioned)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Our guest

Paul Evans CBE. ©

Paul Evans CBE

Paul worked as a Clerk in the House of Commons for nearly forty years, retiring in 2019 as Clerk of Committees responsible for the House’s select committees. He was made a CBE in 2019 for services to Parliament. During his career in the House of Commons he held a number of posts including Clerk of the Journals and Principal Clerk of the Table Office. He is a member of the Hansard Society and is a former Chair of the Study of Parliament Group . He has published a number of works on Parliament including the Dods Handbook of House of Commons Procedure.

Resources

Hansard Society

Parliament

Transcript

Please note, this transcript is automatically generated. There may consequently be minor errors and the text is not formatted according to our style guide. If you wish to reference or cite the transcript copy below, please first check against the audio version above.

Intro: [00:00:00] You are listening to Parliament Matters, a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Learn more at hansardsociety.org uk/PM.

Ruth Fox: Welcome to Parliament Matters, the podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy Parliament itself. I'm Ruth Fox.

Mark D'Arcy: And I'm Mark D'Arcy, and welcome to the latest in our special series of podcasts following the progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the Bill that would enable assisted dying in England and Wales. And Ruth, the big news today is that the Bill has now cleared its final stage in the House of Commons. Its Third Reading. It won by a slightly reduced majority, but it won all the same.

Ruth Fox: Yeah, so we had 314 MPs voted for the Bill and 291 against, so it came through with a majority, as you say, a bit a bit of a reduced majority, [00:01:00] 23, compared to that Second Reading vote, uh, back last year, which was 55. Interestingly, same number of MPs voting: 605 plus four tellers for the vote. That is a very big turnout. I mean, we've set that in context with 650 MPs in the House. So where were the other 45? Well, there were some ministers abroad, David Lammy, for example, away, dealing with the Iranian situation. Take out the Speakers, the Deputy Speakers, the MPs who chair the Public Bill Committee stages, who don't vote at Third Reading.

Mark D'Arcy: The Sinn Feiners who, don't take their seats. The SNP who wouldn't vote on an England only, or England or Wales only issue. And actually you've got almost the theoretical maximum number of MPs who could have voted in this division, voting in this division, including such luminaries, of course, as the Prime Minister himself, Sir Keir Starmer

Ruth Fox: Suggestions that he might not be able to because of the international situation, but he was there in the voting lobbies. We understand

Mark D'Arcy: He took time out from stopping the slide to World War III.

Ruth Fox: [00:02:00] So it will now go to the House of Lords for, for further consideration. But it does mean that it will go into law, I suspect, I think it may struggle to get through quickly in the House of Lords. I think it'll be an extended process, but given that there is a solid majority for it in the Commons, I think that it'll go through the House of Lords. The question is how much it will be amended and how much time it will take up being sent back to the Commons.

For them to, to be asked to think again about some of the, the detail of the Bill perhaps. But if it gets through the House of Lords, then it will be probably the most significant piece of social legislation of my lifetime.

Subscribe to Parliament Matters

Use the links below to subscribe to the Hansard Society's Parliament Matters podcast on your preferred app, or search for 'Parliament Matters' on whichever podcasting service you use. If you are unable to find our podcast, please email us here.

Apple Podcast logo

Apple

©

YouTube Podcasts

Spotify logo

Spotify

More ways to subscribe
Parliament Matters homepage

Latest / Highlights

News / Jury trials under threat? The Courts and Tribunals Bill explained - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 136

Plans to restrict the right to a jury trial have cleared their Second Reading in the Commons, but the proposals in the Courts and Tribunals Bill face growing resistance, including from Labour rebels. We discuss the legal and constitutional implications with barrister Lord Macdonald of River Glaven, examining what the reforms could mean for defendants’ rights and the criminal courts system. We also assess the passage of legislation removing hereditary Peers from Parliament, and the late compromise that eased opposition in the House of Lords. Meanwhile Sir Lindsay Hoyle clashes with the Chief Whip over delays in the division lobby, and newly released papers on Peter Mandelson’s Washington appointment raise fresh political questions. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

13 Mar 2026
Read more

Briefings / Last-minute powers and limited scrutiny: Parliament and the risks of consigning online safety law to delegated legislation

Two late-stage government amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill would grant Ministers significant powers to reshape key parts of the Online Safety Act through delegated legislation. While the policy goals may attract support, the method raises serious constitutional concerns about parliamentary scrutiny and accountability. Using these amendments as a case study, this briefing explores the risks of relying on regulations to make policy and explains how the Hansard Society’s proposed reforms to the delegated legislation scrutiny system could better balance governmental flexibility with democratic oversight.

09 Mar 2026
Read more

News / Is the assisted dying bill being filibustered? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 135

Debate over the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has been so slow in the House of Lords that opponents of the Bill are accused of deliberately running down the clock. Conservative Peer Lord Harper rejects claims of filibustering, arguing that Peers are undertaking necessary scrutiny of a flawed and complex bill. He contends the legislation lacks adequate safeguards and was unsuited to the Private Member’s Bill process and discusses whether MPs might attempt to revive it in a future parliamentary Session. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

10 Mar 2026
Read more

Blog / The Backbench Business Committee 15 years on: Has it given backbench MPs a stronger voice in the House of Commons?

Fifteen years after its creation, the Backbench Business Committee has become an important mechanism through which MPs can secure debates and raise issues in the House of Commons. Drawing on new research analysing debate transcripts and interviews with MPs, Ministers and officials, this blogpost analyses the Committee’s impact on parliamentary agenda-setting and cross-party campaigning. It highlights how the Committee has transformed opportunities for backbenchers while identifying ongoing challenges around participation, transparency and the Committee’s potential role in representing backbench interests more broadly.

07 Mar 2026
Read more

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 9-13 March 2026

The Treasury Committee questions Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the OBR, and the IFS, on the Spring Forecast. The Chancellor also faces MPs’ oral questions. MPs will for the first time debate the legislation – the Courts and Tribunals Bill – that proposes to abolish jury trials. They will also consider proposed Government powers to restrict children’s access to social media, complete the final stages of the Bill to implement the Autumn Budget, and hold a debate to mark International Women’s Day. In the Lords, the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill returns for consideration of amendments. Peers also continue their scrutiny of the Crime and Policing, Victims and Courts, Tobacco and Vapes, and National Insurance Contributions Bills, while the assisted dying bill reaches its eleventh day in Committee.

08 Mar 2026
Read more

Categories

Themes

Contact

Legal

Fundraising Regulator logo