MP explains decision to vote in favour of assisted dying Bill

Frome MP Anna Sabine has explained her decision to vote in favour of legalising assisted dying, saying she believes terminally ill adults should have the right to choose how and when their life ends. 

The House of Commons voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Friday 11th September, with 286 MPs voting against and 270 in favour. 

The Bill proposed allowing terminally ill adults in England and Wales to request assistance to end their own lives, subject to safeguards. 

MPs were given a free vote on the issue, meaning they were not required to vote along party lines. 

Explaining her decision, Anna said, “I know this is an issue many of you feel strongly about, on both sides, and I wanted to take another moment to explain why I voted in the way that I did. 

“I chose again to vote in favour of the Bill. Over the past few years, since this Bill was originally introduced, and again over the last few months, I’ve listened to constituents who have watched family members at the end of their life unable to make decisions they wanted to make about their own life. These conversations have really stayed with me. 

“My vote came from a belief that terminally ill adults, with the right safeguards in place, should have the right to choose how and when their life ends. 

“I recognise that many of you disagree, often just as deeply and for reasons rooted in your own experience or conviction, concerns about protecting the vulnerable, the risk of coercion, or the importance of investing further in palliative care. This is rightly a matter of conscience, and I respect that Parliament remains divided on it, as the country does too. 

“Whatever your view, I want you to know that I take this issue seriously, and I remain glad to hear from anyone who wants to share their experience or their thoughts with me, on either side of this debate.” 

The vote means there will be no change to the law on assisted dying as a result of the Bill.