London, Nov 29: Members of Parliament in the House of Commons on Friday voted in favour of a historic bill that could pave the way for terminally ill adults in England and Wales with just six months left to live to request medical assistance to end their lives.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill tabled as a private member’s bill by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater attracted 330 votes in favour as opposed to 275 against – clearing its second reading stage by a majority of 55.
This means the legislation can now progress through a lengthy process of amendments and scrutiny by the House of Lords before it can become law.
The issue had deeply divided MPs, who were given a free vote without being constrained by party lines when deciding on this significant new legislation.
“People across the country will be paying extremely close attention to today’s vote, but this is a matter of conscience,” said a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who voted in favour of the bill.
“It is for Parliament to decide changes to the law and the Prime Minister is on record as saying he’s not going to say or do anything that will put pressure on other people in relation to their vote. Every MP will have to make his or her mind up and decide what they want to do when that vote comes,” the spokesperson said.
Leadbeater, who has been actively campaigning on the issue for many weeks now, has insisted her bill contains “the most robust safeguards” of any assisted dying legislation in the world.
This includes two independent doctors having to approve the decision, followed by a high-court judge, with the person having to administer the drugs themselves.
The legislation also includes a maximum 14-year prison sentence for anyone who coerces someone into requesting assisted dying or taking lethal medicine.
“We are not talking about a choice between life or death – we are talking about giving people a choice about how to die,” she told MPs during a five-hour debate in the Commons.
In the days leading up to the vote on Friday, the bill had attracted some high-profile support from the likes of former prime minister David Cameron who argued that people in agony facing imminent death should be given the choice to shorten their suffering.
However, those opposed to the bill argued that such a law could pose a risk of vulnerable people being coerced into choosing assisted dying.
The vote this week marked a major turnaround from the last time such a bill was debated in the UK Parliament, overwhelmingly defeated at a similar second reading stage back in 2015.
Among those backing the bill this week was recently elected British Indian Conservative MP Neil Shastri-Hurst, who has worked as a surgeon and medical barrister and argued that people should be able to have access to “the death they deserve”.
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy were among the other British-Indian MPs voting in favour of the bill.
Meanwhile, shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel and former home secretary Suella Braverman were among those voting against. (PTI)
