On 20 June 2025, the Church of England issued the Press Release, “Reduced majority for assisted suicide Bill reflects mounting safety concerns – Bishop of London“, which is reproduced below.
Reduced majority for assisted suicide Bill reflects mounting safety concerns – Bishop of London
20/06/2025
There is mounting concern over the ‘unworkable and unsafe’ Terminally ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the Bishop of London has said in a statement issued after the proposed legislation completed its Report Stage and Third Reading.
In a statement issued today, Bishop Sarah Mullally, a former Chief Nursing Officer for England, said the Bill poses a risk to the most vulnerable in society.
She said: “This Private Member’s Bill has received a Third Reading in the face of mounting evidence that it is unworkable and unsafe and poses a risk to the most vulnerable people in our society. These unresolved concerns are demonstrated by the [very close vote[*]]
“If enacted it would come into force amid serious shortfalls in adult social care, a post code lottery in palliative care and well documented pressures on the NHS, multiplying the potential risks to the most vulnerable.
“It does not prevent terminally ill people who perceive themselves to be a burden to their families and friends from choosing ‘assisted dying’, a very worrying prospect indeed.
“And it would mean that we became a society where the state fully funds a service for terminally ill people to end their own lives but shockingly only funds around one third of palliative care.
“Every person is of immeasurable and irreducible value, and should be able to access the care and support that they need – a principle that I know is shared by those all faiths and none.
“We must oppose a law that puts the vulnerable at risk and instead work to improve funding and access to desperately needed palliative care services.”
[*] MPs in the House of Commons voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, with 314 votes in favour and 291 against, a majority of 23; this was lower than the 55 vote majority at the first vote in November, with many MPs switching sides to vote against, but not enough to stop the bill.
The bill now proceeds to the House of Lords, on which Professor Mark Elliott has commented: Would it be constitutionally improper for the House of Lords to block the Assisted Dying Bill?