With the UK Parliament set to vote again on an assisted suicide bill this Friday, another British bishop has criticised the bill, saying it is not only bad but unneeded. Source: Crux.
Hexham and Newcastle Bishop Stephen Wright called on Catholics to contact their Members of Parliament to raise their objections about the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that the House of Commons will vote on this Friday.
“I’m against assisted suicide. Life is a gift from God. Every person is made in the image and likeness of God, and every person, no matter what their position in life is or whatever they may be going through, has a God-given dignity that must be respected,” Bishop Wright said.
“It’s not for human beings to kill one another in any context. I really do encourage you to contact your MPs and ask them to oppose this bill.
“Morals and ethics aside, it’s a bad bill. It fails to provide safeguards to the most vulnerable in society. This bill is not necessary and it is wrong.”
Labour MP Lauren Edwards reintroduced the bill in June. A nearly identical bill introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater passed the final stage in the House of Commons in June 2025 but timed out in April this year after there were over 1200 amendments introduced in the House of Lords.
However, due to two Parliament Acts, if the bill passes the House of Commons this time, the House of Lords will be unable to prevent the bill from becoming legislation.
Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, the Lead Bishop for Life Issues at the England and Wales bishops’ conference, recently told Crux Now that bypassing the House of Lords would only result in a flawed bill becoming law.
Bishop Wright and Archbishop Sherrington are part of a number of Catholic prelates who have raised concerns about the bill, along with many religious and non-religious organisations, including advocates for people living with disabilities and charities supporting survivors of domestic abuse.
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British bishop slams assisted suicide bill as bad and unnecessary (By Fionn Shiner, Crux)
