Two-thirds of MPs are concerned that Lauren Edwards’ Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill could undermine trust in our political processes if Parliament passes legislation which is well-intentioned but fails adequately to protect some of those it is seeking to help, according to a major new poll of attitudes toward the legislation, commissioned by Care Not Killing.
The survey of 100 backbench MPs conducted in July, also found that a majority of those who expressed an opinion (53 per cent) thought the reintroduction of the controversial legislation was a “distraction” from “pressing national priorities.
Interestingly, among MPs who were elected before 2024, the figure was higher. Of those who expressed an opinion, 64 per cent agreed it was a distraction, but among first-termers, the figure fell to just over four in 10 (42 per cent). [Andrew to confirm my maths]
The suggestion that the draft bill is a distraction seems to be shared by the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham. Speaking at a London care home on 29th July, he was asked about the assisted dying debate and commented, “personally I think there is something that needs to happen first and that’s the fixing of the funding for palliative care and social care”.
The Prime Minister went on to say that having the debate about assisted dying was “very challenging” when the systems are in crisis.
Mr Burnham’s position is in stark contrast to his predecessor, who was known to be a strong supporter of changing the law, alongside Lord Falconer and the now disgraced peer Lord Mandelson.
Dr Gordon Macdonald, CEO of Care Not Killing, commented:
“This poll shows a significant divide between MPs who were elected before the last General Election and those who are relatively new to the House of Commons. Those who were previously elected are more cautious, more worried about safeguards and the implications of passing such radical legislation unamended, knowing that it is likely to put pressure on the vulnerable, elderly and disabled people to end their lives prematurely. But rushing ahead with an assisted dying law, which in its current form is opposed by most of the major doctors’ and disability rights groups, will do immeasurable damage to trust in politics, especially at a time when our palliative and social care systems are in crisis. Our message to MPs is fix these first, before fundamentally changing the NHS and turning doctors and nurses into murderers.”
The poll found strong support for the work being undertaken by peers in the House of Lords. Asked if the Lords were right to seek amendments because of opposition from disability groups and Royal Colleges, fully seven in 10 (70 per cent) agreed, and just one in five (21 per cent) disagreed.
It also found significant unease at the threats which have been made about using the Parliament Acts. Asked if using the legislation to force through the Bill “would establish a precedent available to future governments” 70 per cent agreed and just 22 per cent disagreed. While nearly six in 10, 56 per cent, said they were “uncomfortable using Parliament Acts for a Private Member Bill on a conscience issue, four in 10 (39 per cent) disagreed.
Again, there were variations depending on when the MP was elected. Asked, “the House of Lords was wrong to talk the previous Bill out and stop it coming back to the House of Commons for a vote?”, nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of the 2024 intake agreed, compared to a third, (35 per cent) of those elected before 2010 and just one in three (29 per cent) of those elected between 2010-2019.
Previous polling of MPs revealed that they thought the Bill would create a series of unintended consequences including:
- A two-tier system in which patients may access assisted dying faster than good palliative care (56 per cent)
- Inconsistent application of safeguards (53 per cent)
- Inadequate resourcing for oversight (53 per cent)
- NHS funding diverted towards assisted-dying services (52 per cent)
- Extension of eligibility over time (52 per cent)
Dr Macdonald concluded:
“This latest poll reflects the unease among MPs about bringing forward a Bill at a time the Government is wrestling with so many other pressing issues. MPs are clear they do not support the use of the Parliament Acts, believe the House of Lords was right to try and amend this unsafe Bill and are deeply concerned that no major doctor or disability rights group support the current draft which MPs are being asked to vote on later this month. Indeed, the position of many MPs seems to have been reflected by the new Prime Minister, when he suggested that Parliament should focus on fixing our broken palliative and social care systems, which have been in crisis for many years and which have seen promised fixes by governments of all colours fail to materialise. The Government and our elected representatives should focus on supporting our amazing hospices, ending the postcode lottery for access to expert clinical care and making sure that the elderly, vulnerable and disabled people are properly supported, so they can live their lives with dignity, not fundamentally altering both our NHS and the relationship between doctor and patient. In short, we need more care, not killing.”
POLLING GRAPHICS
ENDS
Methodology note: Whitestone Insight surveyed 100 MPs online between 2nd and 26th July 2026. Data were weighted to be representative of the House of Commons. Whitestone is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
**A second tranche of data from this poll will be released next week**