A bill to give terminally ill people in England and Wales the right to medical assistance in taking their own lives has passed a crucial vote in the House of Commons.
The bill on assisted dying passed by 330 votes in favour to 275 against, and it will now enter further stages of scrutiny at committee stage and in the House of Lords.
The margin of victory in the free vote was bigger than many expected, after a passionate five hour debate.
A highly-charged debate had been under way in the chamber since 9.30am on the second reading of the private members bill from Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, which would grant the right to people who have been given six months or less to live. They would need sign off by a judge and two doctors, and would still have to administer the drugs themselves.
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Prime minister Keir Starmer granted a free vote on the issue, meaning MPs from all sides could vote with their conscience instead of having it decided by party whips. The last time a similar proposal was put to a vote in the House of Commons, in 2015, it was defeated. Mr Starmer, however, was among those who supported it.
This time around, the cabinet appears to be split on the issue. Some senior ministers such as health secretary Wes Streeting and justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, whose departments would have to oversee its implementation, oppose the plan.
About 160 MPs are scheduled to speak in today’s debate. So far, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said she opposes the plan because the proposed safeguards are too weak. Former Tory minister David Davis said he will back it, but said there should have been a four-day debate.
“The death bed for far too many is a place of misery, torture and degradation, a rain of blood and vomit and tears,” said Kit Malthouse, a co-sponsor of the bill. “I want this choice for my constituents, but profoundly, I want it for myself, and I want it for those people in the gallery who have been working so hard over the last decade to get us to change our minds.”
Diane Abbott, a Labour MP, said she would vote against it: “If this will passes, we will have the NHS as a fully funded 100% suicide service, but palliative care will only be funded at 30% at best ... We can come back. We can have a commission. We can craft a better bill, but I will not be voting for this bill this morning.”
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