Stroud MP Dr Simon Opher has vowed to continue campaigning for assisted dying after the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was defeated in the House of Commons.
The vote took place on September 11, 2026. Dr Opher described the result as a “painful blow” to the campaign for what he called a dignified death.
What happened in the Commons
The Bill had been backed by MPs twice during the previous Parliament. However, according to Dr Opher, its progress was later blocked by a group of unelected members of the House of Lords.
The proposed legislation would have created a legal framework for assisted dying for terminally ill adults, subject to safeguards. Its defeat means the proposal will not move forward in its current parliamentary process.
Dr Opher said he was disappointed by the result and argued that terminally ill people had been denied the right to choose how they die.
“The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has just been voted down in the House of Commons.”
He said the latest vote had been an opportunity to reverse the Bill’s earlier setback and claimed that supporting it would have reflected the views of most people in the country.
MP says campaign will continue
In a statement after the vote, Dr Opher said the defeat was a setback but insisted that the wider argument over choice at the end of life remained unresolved.
“This campaign for a dignified death has been dealt a painful blow. But the case for choice at the end of life has not gone away and neither will those of us who believe in it. I look forward to continuing this important campaign.”
Dr Opher has previously spoken publicly in support of the issue and has continued to back greater choice for people approaching the end of their lives.
The defeat represents another setback for supporters of assisted dying. For residents in the Stroud constituency, the MP’s comments indicate that he intends to keep pressing for a change in the law, although the source does not set out a timetable or specific next parliamentary steps.
