11 September 2026 Update on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
Read previous updates: November 2024; May 2025; June 2025
Luke Myer MP has today voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, saying that while he supports the principle of assisted dying, the legislation in its current form does not contain sufficiently strong safeguards to protect vulnerable people.
Luke has consistently supported the principle that terminally ill adults should have greater choice at the end of their lives. He voted for the Bill in 2024 and 2025, while making clear from the outset that his continued support depended on Parliament putting strict safeguards in place. Throughout the Bill’s passage, Luke backed a series of amendments intended to strengthen those protections. Several were rejected. He had hoped that further scrutiny in the House of Lords would address the remaining concerns, but only a small number of changes were ultimately accepted.
Luke said concerns remained about the legislation, including those raised by expert organisations such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists and disability rights groups such as Disability Rights UK. Faced with the possibility of the Bill becoming law without further substantial changes under the Parliament Acts, he concluded that he could not support it in its current form.
Luke Myer MP said:
“This has been an incredibly difficult decision. I believe that people facing terminal illness should have the right to choose how their life ends, and I understand the powerful and deeply personal reasons why so many people support a change in the law.
“But a principle and a particular piece of legislation are not the same thing. From the beginning, I said that any change this profound had to be accompanied by strict safeguards protecting the most vulnerable. I voted repeatedly to strengthen those safeguards, but unfortunately not all of those changes were accepted. With a heavy heart, I had to conclude that I could not in good conscience vote to allow this particular Bill to become law when I did not believe that standard had been met.
“I know some people will be deeply disappointed by my decision, while others will be relieved. I have read and carefully considered the correspondence I have received from people on all sides, much of it intensely personal and moving. I am enormously grateful for the thoughtful and compassionate way people have engaged with me.
“I do not believe today ends the debate about assisted dying. The strength of feeling is clear, and Parliament will undoubtedly return to this question. My position on the principle has not changed, but any future legislation must have safety, compassion and dignity at its heart.”
Luke also said the debate must be accompanied by action to improve end-of-life and palliative care. He has consistently campaigned for better and more secure hospice funding, including for Teesside Hospice which he visited recently, and will continue pressing for high-quality end-of-life care to be available to everyone who needs it.