Relief as peers reject 'underhand' move to introduce assisted suicide legislation

 (Photo: Unsplash/YoungShih)

Christian campaigners have expressed their relief after the House of Lords voted down an "underhand" attempt to introduce assisted suicide legislation.

An amendment to the Health and Care Bill was lodged by Lord Forsyth and would have forced ministers to bring forward a bill.

It was rejected by 179 votes to 145 on Wednesday evening.

Ross Hendry, CEO of CARE, called the amendment "highly cynical".

"First, it sought to use vital health and care proposals as a Trojan horse. And second, it sought to force the government's hand on a highly contentious matter that should rightly be left to parliament," he said.

"Campaigners are seeking to exclude important voices from this debate – particularly disabled groups, the elderly, and those experiencing terminal illness. And they are evading clear evidence about the dangers of 'assisted dying', shown clearly in other jurisdictions."

CARE has been campaigning against attempts to change the law on assisted suicide.

Hendry said that legalising the practice would place "invisible pressure" on the sick and vulnerable, and that promised "safeguards" would be "ineffective" as laws "are inevitably widened over time".

"We recognise that there are strong feelings on both sides of the debate concerning 'assisted dying', and that many proponents are motivated by compassion," he said.

"However, unsafe, and unethical interventions are not the answer. The prescription of lethal drugs is not a moral response to suffering and permitting it would undermine the safety, dignity, and equality of many groups."

Ciarán Kelly, of The Christian Institute, said the defeat of the amendment to the Health and Care Bill was "a great result".

"This is now the twelfth time since 1997 that proposals for assisted suicide related laws have not been passed by UK Parliamentarians," he said.

"It stops a real threat to the lives of vulnerable people in its tracks. No one should be put under pressure to end their life for fear of being a financial, emotional or care burden on others."

News
Church of England directs £600,000 towards clergy mental health and financial support
Church of England directs £600,000 towards clergy mental health and financial support

The funding package includes new grants for two national charities working with clergy facing psychological strain and financial pressure.

St William shrine fragments return to York Minster after 500 years underground
St William shrine fragments return to York Minster after 500 years underground

Fragments of a long-lost medieval shrine honouring St William of York have returned to York Minster for the first time in nearly 500 years, marking a major moment in the cathedral’s history and a highlight of its programme for 2026.

New research sheds light on why women are more religious than men
New research sheds light on why women are more religious than men

Gender gaps were found to narrow in line with degrees of modernisation, secularisation, and gender equality. But, the paper finds, the "gap does not vanish entirely – even in highly secular countries women remain more religious than men".

Prince and Princess of Wales visit Lambeth Palace to meet new Archbishop of Canterbury
Prince and Princess of Wales visit Lambeth Palace to meet new Archbishop of Canterbury

The Prince and Princess of Wales have paid an official visit to Lambeth Palace.