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Assisted dying bill falls 286 to 270: The Independent says 'dramatic U-turn', TheJournal.ie says 'narrowly'

MPs voted down a bill for assisted dying in England and Wales by 16 votes on Friday. Every report we hold gives the same count. They disagree on whether it was a reversal or a near miss, and on how long the issue is now off the table.

MPs vote against legalising assisted dying in England and Wales
MPs vote against legalising assisted dying in England and Wales as published by The Guardian · seen at The Guardian
Anglosphere United Kingdom

The count. MPs voted 286 to 270 against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at second reading on Friday, The Guardian, The Independent and TheJournal.ie report. The Morning Star gives the same majority of 16. It was a free vote. The Government was neutral, TheJournal.ie and the Morning Star say.

What the count means.

Outlet Its word for the result What comes next
The Independent "dramatic U-turn", "major setback" "will not become law"
The Guardian "fails at second reading" despite earlier approval "almost certainly" nothing before the next election
TheJournal.ie "narrowly rejects" another MP "could try" next year, from scratch
Morning Star "close", "a majority of just 16" Lauren Edwards says it "could be a decade"

The earlier vote. The Independent says MPs backed the bill 314 to 291 in June last year. It is the only report that gives that count. The Guardian and TheJournal.ie say the Commons approved it before but give no figure.

Whose voice. The Morning Star quotes Care Not Killing, which campaigned against the bill, at length: "a decisive vote". It quotes no campaigner for the bill. The Independent quotes Esther Rantzen, who backed it, and her daughter at length.

Not settled. The 314 to 291 count rests on one report. So does the line that Prime Minister Andy Burnham did not vote: two outlets carry it in near-identical words. Only TheJournal.ie says where Stormont stands. No report we hold says where Holyrood stands.

What this is about. Whether adults in England and Wales who are terminally ill should be allowed to get medical help to end their own lives.

How it got here. - Helping someone take their own life is a crime in England and Wales under the Suicide Act 1961. It carries a prison sentence, even when the person asked for help. - MPs last rejected a bill to change this in 2015. - In late 2024 Labour MP Kim Leadbeater brought in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. It passed the House of Commons. The Independent says the final Commons vote, in June last year, was 314 to 291. - The bill then went to the House of Lords, the unelected upper chamber, and never became law. Reports differ on why. The Guardian says the Lords blocked it. The Morning Star says it ran out of time when the parliamentary session ended. - This year Labour MP Lauren Edwards brought the same bill back. On 11 September MPs voted it down at second reading, the first vote a bill faces.

Who is involved, and why. - Backbench MPs. This was a private member's bill: one MP's proposal, not a government bill. Votes on it are free votes, so MPs follow their own conscience, not a party line. - The Government. It took no side, TheJournal.ie and the Morning Star report. - Campaigners. Groups for a change in the law, such as Dame Esther Rantzen, argue that dying people should have a choice. Groups against it, such as Care Not Killing, argue that vulnerable people could be pressured. Opponents often point to Canada, which legalised medically assisted dying in 2016. The Critic calls Canada "a warning". - The rest of the United Kingdom. The bill covered only England and Wales. Scotland has its own parliament, Holyrood, which decides this for Scotland. Northern Ireland's assembly, Stormont, decides it for Northern Ireland.

What was at stake. If the bill had passed, a doctor could lawfully have helped a terminally ill adult to die, under strict limits. Now that it has failed, the 1961 law stands unchanged.

Where it stands. The law has not changed. Edwards told the Morning Star it "could be a decade" before the Commons looks at the question again. The Guardian says the vote is likely to shelve it "for a political generation".

What is being argued about

  • Whether a 16-vote defeat is a narrow miss or a reversal of last year's vote
  • How long assisted dying is now off the table in England and Wales
  • Who each report lets speak for the result
  • Palliative care funding, which both sides raised
One count, four readingsSide by side
OutletIts word for the resultWhat comes next
The Independent"dramatic U-turn", "major setback""will not become law"
The Guardian"fails at second reading despite near-identical legislation being approved""almost certainly" nothing before the next general election
TheJournal.ie"narrowly rejects"another MP "could try" next year, starting again from scratch
Morning Star"close", "a majority of just 16"Lauren Edwards said it "could be a decade"
Each outlet's own words for the same 286 to 270 result.
Sources The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Assisted dying will not become law after MPs vote down bill in dramatic U-turn Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent MPs vote against legalising assisted dying in England and Wales Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · House of Commons narrowly rejects attempt to legalise assisted dying Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → M Morning Star
Left estimate · not a score
Morning Star 🇬🇧UK · digital · Assisted dying Bill rejected in close Commons vote Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Morning Star → What we have measured Anyone hurt counted the only report that carries a civilian death; the person is counted, not named ×1Anyone hurt counted Moscow region dead given by age and sex, attributed to the regional governor ×1A speaker's epithet carried in the reporter's "sugar daddies" used to describe the donors outside the quotation ×1Asserted flat, not attributed a contested political claim written as an established fact ×1 from 876 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
This vote, and the one it reversedChart
The June count comes from The Independent alone. No other report we hold gives it.
Sources The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent MPs vote against legalising assisted dying in England and Wales Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · House of Commons narrowly rejects attempt to legalise assisted dying Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Dame Esther Rantzen says it is a ‘tragic day’ after assisted dying bill is rejected Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The bias in this coverageBias

One vote, four words for it

The reports split on what 286 to 270 means: 'narrowly' and 'close' in two headlines, 'dramatic U-turn' in two others. 'Decisive' appears only in an opponent's quote. Just one report gives the earlier 314 to 291 vote that makes the reversal checkable.

2 reports calling it a U-turn 2 headlines calling the margin narrow or close 1 reports giving last year's vote count

Whose voice carries the result

Of the four full reports on the vote, one quotes both sides at length. One quotes an opponent group and only paraphrases the sponsor. Another quotes the best-known supporter and her daughter at length and gives opponents a line.

2 full reports quoting a supporter directly 3 full reports quoting an opponent directly 4 full reports on the vote
Scored without the mastheads. Where the two passes differ, both are kept.
Sources The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent MPs vote against legalising assisted dying in England and Wales Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Assisted dying will not become law after MPs vote down bill in dramatic U-turn Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · House of Commons narrowly rejects attempt to legalise assisted dying Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → M Morning Star
Left estimate · not a score
Morning Star 🇬🇧UK · digital · Assisted dying Bill rejected in close Commons vote Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Morning Star → What we have measured Anyone hurt counted the only report that carries a civilian death; the person is counted, not named ×1Anyone hurt counted Moscow region dead given by age and sex, attributed to the regional governor ×1A speaker's epithet carried in the reporter's "sugar daddies" used to describe the donors outside the quotation ×1Asserted flat, not attributed a contested political claim written as an established fact ×1 from 876 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → R RTÉ News
Centre estimate · not a score
RTÉ News 🇮🇪IE · digital · PUBLIC Legalisation of assisted dying in England, Wales rejected Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at RTÉ News → What we have measured Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1 from 2361 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Dame Esther Rantzen says it is a ‘tragic day’ after assisted dying bill is rejected Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Campaigners defiant despite MPs rejecting assisted dying bill Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent MP with terminal cancer says backing assisted dying bill is ‘nothing short of irresponsible’ in impassioned plea Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Bulletin PM briefing: Assisted dying bill fails and Trump marks 9/11 anniversary Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T The Critic
Right estimate · not a score
The Critic 🇬🇧UK · digital · A warning from Canada Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Critic → What we have measured Asserted flat a comment headline states the prime minister misunderstands, no figure given ×1Asserted, not attributed the prime minister's economics declared mistaken in the report's own voice ×1Asserted vs attributed 'historic' stated flat, with no one credited, and the focus on Gaza is set against it ×1Asserted vs attributed calls the unity remark 'historic' in the report's own voice and treats Gaza as a distraction from it ×1 from 374 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →

Claims and verdicts

true MPs voted 286 to 270 against the assisted dying bill at second reading.
The Guardian, The Independent and TheJournal.ie all give 286 to 270, and the Morning Star gives the same majority of 16. The figure is a recorded Commons division, and none of the reports we hold gives a different number.
Checked against 4 sources:
The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent MPs vote against legalising assisted dying in England and Wales Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Assisted dying will not become law after MPs vote down bill in dramatic U-turn Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · House of Commons narrowly rejects attempt to legalise assisted dying Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → M Morning Star
Left estimate · not a score
Morning Star 🇬🇧UK · digital · Assisted dying Bill rejected in close Commons vote Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Morning Star → What we have measured Anyone hurt counted the only report that carries a civilian death; the person is counted, not named ×1Anyone hurt counted Moscow region dead given by age and sex, attributed to the regional governor ×1A speaker's epithet carried in the reporter's "sugar daddies" used to describe the donors outside the quotation ×1Asserted flat, not attributed a contested political claim written as an established fact ×1 from 876 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
unverified The Commons had backed a near-identical bill in the previous parliament, 314 to 291.
The Guardian says near-identical legislation was approved in the last parliament, and TheJournal.ie quotes Lauren Edwards saying the Commons voted for the bill last year. Only The Independent gives the 314 to 291 figure, so the earlier approval is corroborated but the numbers are not.
Checked against 3 sources:
The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent MPs vote against legalising assisted dying in England and Wales Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · House of Commons narrowly rejects attempt to legalise assisted dying Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Dame Esther Rantzen says it is a ‘tragic day’ after assisted dying bill is rejected Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
unverified Prime Minister Andy Burnham did not vote, to avoid 'unduly influencing' the debate.
TheJournal.ie and the Morning Star both say this, in near-identical wording that appears to come from the same Press Association copy, so that is one account. No report we hold contradicts it.
Checked against 2 sources:
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · House of Commons narrowly rejects attempt to legalise assisted dying Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → M Morning Star
Left estimate · not a score
Morning Star 🇬🇧UK · digital · Assisted dying Bill rejected in close Commons vote Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Morning Star → What we have measured Anyone hurt counted the only report that carries a civilian death; the person is counted, not named ×1Anyone hurt counted Moscow region dead given by age and sex, attributed to the regional governor ×1A speaker's epithet carried in the reporter's "sugar daddies" used to describe the donors outside the quotation ×1Asserted flat, not attributed a contested political claim written as an established fact ×1 from 876 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →

Who wrote it

H Harriette Boucher The Independent · 2 reports on this story
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Evaluative adjective The reporter praises a supporter's effort in their own voice. No opponent is described with a matching adjective.×1
Measure chosen The only report that sets this vote beside the previous Commons vote×1
Measure chosen The only report that gives the earlier vote's count, which is the number the 'U-turn' framing rests on.×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 misleading1 unverified
From 113 reports we hold under this byline, at The Independent. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
R Rom Preston-Ellis The Independent
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Single label for several parties "Nationalists" stands in for Scottish, Welsh and Irish positions that differ×1
What is placed beside what the constitutional story shares its headline with a stadium tour, and the report carries no text×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 unverified
From 52 reports we hold under this byline, at The Independent. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
B Berny Torre Morning Star
What the bias passes found in their reporting
A speaker's epithet carried in the reporter's "sugar daddies" used to describe the donors outside the quotation×1
Asserted vs attributed Opponents 'warned' about safeguards. Another report says the same campaigners 'argued' it. 'Warned' presents the objection as a danger, not a position.×1
Contested term in a quotation Carries 'genocide' inside a speaker's quote, attributed×1
Hedged versus stated 'genocide' carried inside a speaker's quote×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
3 unverified1 true
From 97 reports we hold under this byline, at Morning Star. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
M Millie Cooke The Independent · 2 reports on this story
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Claim left unchecked leader's charge against a rival party quoted without a response or a check×1
Headline frame The headline calls the defeat a 'dramatic U-turn' by MPs rather than a narrow or close vote.×1
Measure chosen party's place in the polls: third×1
Measure chosen The headline calls the defeat a reversal. It does not call it a margin.×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
3 true
From 90 reports we hold under this byline, at The Independent. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
P Peter Walker The Guardian
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Complicating fact This is the only report that says one of the arrested men called police himself.×1
Detail only here The only report saying that one of the arrested men called the police himself.×1
Legal risk framed by an unnamed expert a single unnamed KC carries the legal-challenge angle×1
Measure chosen the sum sized against all major parties' 2024 election spending×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 misleading4 unverified5 true
From 57 reports we hold under this byline, at The Guardian. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
The bylines on the reports this story is built from. Hover one for what our passes have measured on their reporting. · 3 reports we hold carry no byline — we do not invent one.

Coverage, outlet by outlet

The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Dame Esther Rantzen says it is a ‘tragic day’ after assisted dying bill is rejected Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
The only report that gives last year's count, 314 to 291, and quotes Rebecca Wilcox calling the vote 'a demolition of democracy'.
News UK UK Politics Dame Esther Rantzen says it is a ‘tragic day’ after assisted dying bill is rejected The former broadcaster was a prominent backer of a change in the law Harriette Boucher Friday 11 September 2026 17:33 BST Bookmark Comments Go to comments Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks Close popover Esther Rantzen gives health update on terminal cancer as she issues assisted dying plea Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's inves
Evaluative adjective: The reporter praises a supporter's effort in their own voice. No opponent is described with a matching adjective. — “which she has tirelessly campaigned for”
Measure chosen: The only report that gives the earlier vote's count, which is the number the 'U-turn' framing rests on. — “after previously backing it 314 to 291 in the last Commons vote on the issue in June last year”
Measure chosen: The only report that sets this vote beside the previous Commons vote — “MPs voted down the legislation 286 to 270 in a dramatic U-turn on Friday, after previously backing it 314 to 291 in the last Commons vote on the issue in June last year.”
Read it at The Independent → https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/assisted-dying-bill-vote…
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · House of Commons narrowly rejects attempt to legalise assisted dying Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
The only report that says another MP could try next year, but only from scratch, and the only one that says Northern Ireland's Department of Health has no plans for a Stormont bill.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. Passionate speeches both in favour and against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill were heard during a more than four-hour debate in the House of Commons on Friday. The Bill was voted down by a majority of 16, after 286 voted against while 270 voted in favour. A small group of MPs cheered and pumped their fists while others could be seen hugging as the vote was read aloud. The draft legislation had proposed allowing adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death sub
Headline frame: The headline makes the margin the point: 'narrowly', with the chamber as the actor. — “House of Commons narrowly rejects attempt to legalise assisted dying”
Measure chosen: Gives the margin and both tallies flat, with no adjective — “The Bill was voted down by a majority of 16, after 286 voted against while 270 voted in favour.”
Read it at TheJournal.ie → https://www.thejournal.ie/house-of-commons-rejects-attempt-to-legalise-…
The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Campaigners defiant despite MPs rejecting assisted dying bill Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
Read it at The Independent → https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/assisted-dying-bill-uk-esth…
The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Bulletin PM briefing: Assisted dying bill fails and Trump marks 9/11 anniversary Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
Read it at The Independent → https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/bulletin-pm-briefing-friday…
M Morning Star
Left estimate · not a score
Morning Star 🇬🇧UK · digital · Assisted dying Bill rejected in close Commons vote Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Morning Star → What we have measured Anyone hurt counted the only report that carries a civilian death; the person is counted, not named ×1Anyone hurt counted Moscow region dead given by age and sex, attributed to the regional governor ×1A speaker's epithet carried in the reporter's "sugar daddies" used to describe the donors outside the quotation ×1Asserted flat, not attributed a contested political claim written as an established fact ×1 from 876 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
Quotes Care Not Killing at length calling it 'a decisive vote', and reports that Disabled People Against Cuts held a vigil against the bill.
Economy / 10 September 2026 JP Morgan boss meets Burnham and Healey to warn against bank tax rise 10 September 2026 Britain / 10 September 2026 British Jews speak out in support of UK’s new settler sanctions 10 September 2026 Economy / 10 September 2026 Hospitality bosses quake at tourism tax plans 10 September 2026 Scotland / 10 September 2026 Scotland’s colleges face increasing deficits and pressures, watchdog warns 10 September 2026 Politics / 10 September 2026 Labour choose council leader as Holborn candidate 10 September 2026 Industrial / 10 September 2026 Dismissed Rockstar workers go to
Voice quoted: Only an opponent is quoted on what the result means, and at length. The bill's sponsor is paraphrased, never quoted. — “This was a decisive vote by MPs”
Asserted vs attributed: Opponents 'warned' about safeguards. Another report says the same campaigners 'argued' it. 'Warned' presents the objection as a danger, not a position. — “Campaigners warned it contained inadequate safeguards”
Whose voice: An opposing campaign group is quoted directly and at length. No campaigner for the bill is quoted. — “This was a decisive vote by MPs”
Verb of attribution: Opponents 'warned', where another report has the same sentence as 'argued' — “Campaigners warned it contained inadequate safeguards”
Read it at Morning Star → https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/assisted-suicide-bill-rejected-…
R RTÉ News
Centre estimate · not a score
RTÉ News 🇮🇪IE · digital · PUBLIC Legalisation of assisted dying in England, Wales rejected Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at RTÉ News → What we have measured Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1 from 2361 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — PUBLIC
Legalisation of assisted dying in England and Wales rejected by MPs Updated / Friday, 11 Sep 2026 16:08 Supporters of the bill react to the outcome of the vote An attempt to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales has been rejected by MPs. Passionate speeches in favour and against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill were heard during a more than four-hour debate in the House of Commons in London. The measure was rejected by a majority of 16 - 286 votes against and 270 votes in favour. A small group of MPs cheered and pumped their fists while others could be seen hugging as the re
Read it at RTÉ News → https://www.rte.ie/news/uk/2026/0911/1591215-assisted-dying/
The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Assisted dying will not become law after MPs vote down bill in dramatic U-turn Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
Calls the result a 'dramatic U-turn' and a 'major setback for supporters'.
News UK UK Politics Assisted dying will not become law after MPs vote down bill in dramatic U-turn Bill defeated by 286 votes to 270 – a majority of just 16 – in major setback for supporters of assisted dying Millie Cooke Political Correspondent Friday 11 September 2026 15:06 BST Bookmark Comments Go to comments Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks Close popover MP with terminal cancer makes impassioned plea against assisted dying bill Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when t
Headline frame: The headline calls the defeat a 'dramatic U-turn' by MPs rather than a narrow or close vote. — “Assisted dying will not become law after MPs vote down bill in dramatic U-turn”
Measure chosen: The headline calls the defeat a reversal. It does not call it a margin. — “MPs vote down bill in dramatic U-turn”
Read it at The Independent → https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/assisted-dying-bill-vote…
The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent MPs vote against legalising assisted dying in England and Wales Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
Says the bill failed despite near-identical legislation passing the last parliament, and 'almost certainly' cannot become law before the next election.
A bill to permit assisted dying in England and Wales has been voted down by MPs, almost certainly stopping such a measure from being enacted before the next general election. In the second reading of the bill, put forward by Labour’s Lauren Edwards, MPs voted by 286 to 270 in the Commons for the bill to be blocked.
Read it at The Guardian → https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/sep/11/mps-vote-against-legali…
The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent MP with terminal cancer says backing assisted dying bill is ‘nothing short of irresponsible’ in impassioned plea Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
Quotes Ashley Dalton, an MP with terminal cancer who opposed the bill, calling a vote for it 'nothing short of irresponsible'.
News UK UK Politics MP with terminal cancer makes impassioned plea against assisted dying as she warns not to ‘rush through bad law’ ‘My days may be numbered, but that doesn't mean that I want this chamber to rush through bad law just so I might have a chance to see it or use it’, Ashley Dalton told the Commons Millie Cooke Friday 11 September 2026 12:34 BST Bookmark Comments Go to comments Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks Close popover Close Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the gr
Whose voice: A terminally ill MP who opposed the bill is the whole headline — “backing assisted dying bill is ‘nothing short of irresponsible’”
Read it at The Independent → https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/assisted-dying-ashley-da…
T The Critic
Right estimate · not a score
The Critic 🇬🇧UK · digital · A warning from Canada Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Critic → What we have measured Asserted flat a comment headline states the prime minister misunderstands, no figure given ×1Asserted, not attributed the prime minister's economics declared mistaken in the report's own voice ×1Asserted vs attributed 'historic' stated flat, with no one credited, and the focus on Gaza is set against it ×1Asserted vs attributed calls the unity remark 'historic' in the report's own voice and treats Gaza as a distraction from it ×1 from 374 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
Published before the vote, The Critic argues Canada shows assisted dying advancing while disabled people struggle to get care.
Slice 1 When I heard Andy Burnham recently say that Britain must fix its crisis in social care and palliative care provision before entertaining the introduction of assisted dying I knew, perhaps more than most, how right he was. When campaigners insist that assisted death is simply a matter of “autonomy”, they should study Canada’s experience. As a disabled person in a country where assisted dying is readily available, I have spent years trying to exercise one of the most basic forms of autonomy: the autonomy to live in my own home, with the support I need to do so. I have been a patient on a
Read it at The Critic → https://thecritic.co.uk/a-warning-from-canada/
Checked, didn’t cover
T The Irish Times
Centre estimate · not a score
The Irish Times 🇮🇪IE · digital · No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1 from 1358 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → R RNZ
Centre estimate · not a score
RNZ 🇳🇿NZ · digital · PUBLIC No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Headline against body headline claims a 20-year decline reversed; the first line of the body reports a new low in reading ×1Headline against body headline claims a turnaround; the text carries a record low and puts it on boys ×1 from 2328 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → ABC News (Australia)
Centre estimate · not a score
ABC News (Australia) 🇦🇺AU · public broadcaster · public-service No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1 from 4667 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → C CBC News
Centre-left estimate · not a score
CBC News 🇨🇦CA · public broadcaster · public-service No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Asserted vs attributed the measure is attributed to the three governments; the territory is called occupied in the outlet's own voice ×1Attribution kept in the headline the sourcing travels with the claim into the headline ×1Figure rounded in the headline more than 600 in the headline; the body sources it to a flight-tracking site ×1How the sourcing is hedged the claim is hedged to an unnamed newspaper in both headline and body; the reporting is not held by this report ×1 from 2730 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Silence is recorded, not inferred — each of these was read when we built this story and carried nothing on this event.
We could not read these
BBC News
Centre estimate · not a score
BBC News 🇬🇧UK · public broadcaster · public-service No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Dating and attribution 'It was not until Tuesday' is a judgement about delay, not a date. No other report we hold comments on how long the German finding took. ×1How hard the claim is stated Headline says the UN voted to adopt and replace; the last sentence of the report says the vote is non-binding ×1How hard the claim is stated The qualification arrives in the last sentence and is immediately overridden by an effect the report gives no source for. ×1Which figure is used States the replacement as done — the Assembly voted to replace the map — where the resolution urges states to use a different projection. ×1 from 473 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Daily Telegraph
Right estimate · not a score
The Daily Telegraph 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Nothing scored yet. We do not carry a rating for any outlet — only what we have measured from published text. Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Times
Centre-right estimate · not a score
The Times 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Nothing scored yet. We do not carry a rating for any outlet — only what we have measured from published text. Outlet profile in The AI Times →
These are must-cite outlets for this desk that we did not manage to read when we built this story. That is a gap in our reach, not a silence on their part, and it is not evidence of anything about this story.

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