17/09/2026
MP explains decision to vote against assisted dying bill
Westbury MP Andrew Murrison has explained his decision to vote against the latest attempt to legalise assisted dying, citing concerns about protecting vulnerable people and the potential consequences for the medical profession and care system.
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 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 his decision in a speech in Parliament, Andrew Murrison said, “The first reason I will not be supporting this Bill today is I seriously do not want to live in the kind of society in which we see the frail, elderly and vulnerable coerced into ‘doing the right thing.’
“We can set up panels and judges in chamber and social workers and all the rest of it, but we as humans know how humans work. We know the light side and we know the dark.
“We know that certain groups particularly like to please, to acquiesce, to oblige. We all know constituents like that and we also know that they are often amongst the most vulnerable.”
Dr Murrison, who declared his interest as a recent medical practitioner and active doctor, also raised concerns about the impact on healthcare professionals.
“I do not want the tone and texture of my profession or of any other to be change irrevocably by its involvement in termination.
Read more here: https://whitehorsenews.co.uk/mp-explains-decision-to-vote-against-assisted-dying-bill
