OVER two-thirds of British Muslims would be less likely to vote for their MP if they back assisted suicide today, exclusive polling for the Muslim Council of Britain has found.

Whitestone Insight conducted a poll of 751 British Muslims for The Muslim Council of Britain between 9 and 11 June 2025 concerning British Muslims’ views on assisted suicide ahead of Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Friday June 20.

Some 70 per cent said they would be less likely to vote for an MP who backed the Bill at the next election. Of the 220 most marginal seats in the general election, Islam is the largest minority religion in 129 of them.

Three-quarters (75 per cent) of those polled felt Muslim care homes and hospices should have “a legal right to opt out of participating in it”. Only 13 per cent disagreed,

But an amendment tabled by Rebecca Paul that would have allowed hospices and care homes to opt out of providing assisted dying (NC10(a)), which would have enabled Muslim care homes to opt out, has been rejected by MPs.

Three-quarters of respondents (74 per cent) agreed that “the UK Parliament should prioritise sorting out palliative, social and end-of-life care before considering whether to introduce assisted suicide,” while over two-thirds (68 per cent) agreed that “the current state of NHS and social care funding could risk some people opting to end their life earlier than would otherwise be the case, because of fears about the quality of end-of-life care available to them”.

65 per cent felt that over time, assisted suicide could lead to NHS managers prioritising cheaper assisted death over costlier palliative or treatment options, while 57 per cent thought “terminally ill patients who feel they are a burden may feel a sense of responsibility to have an assisted death if assisted dying is legalised.”

“This poll demonstrates that British Muslims are overwhelmingly opposed to the introduction of assisted suicide. Given the strength of feeling, it is no surprise that over seven in ten Muslim voters say that their MP’s stance on this issue will influence their voting intention at the next general election,” the Muslim Council of Britain said.

“The Muslim Council of Britain is concerned about the risks the Bill presents to vulnerable people, especially people with disabilities and minority groups who already face discrimination and disadvantage in society. We also fear the effect this legislation will have on Muslim care homes and healthcare staff, for whom conscience exemptions remain inadequate. We call on MPs across the political spectrum to protect minority communities on Friday and vote against this Bill at third reading”.