MPs vote for assisted dying as bill progresses to next stage

MPs have voted in favour of assisted dying, allowing the bill to progress to the next stage.

The controversial bill was approved by MPs on its second reading at the House of Commons with 330 voting in favour and 275 against. But before it becomes law, the bill will have to go through further scrutiny in Parliament with another vote to take place after that.

The Private Members Bill, which was proposed by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, would legalise assisted death under certain conditions for terminally ill adults in England and Wales. It's the first time ‘choice at the end of life’ has come before the Commons since 2015.

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The bill would apply to those who are over 18, have mental capacity, and have six months left to live, with the consent of two medical professionals and a ruling from a High Court judge required. The bill is said to include ‘the strictest safeguards anywhere in the world’.

MPs have been debating the bill at its second reading in the House of Commons since 9.30am this morning (November 29). Ms Leadbeater began the debate with a speech citing several stories of terminally ill people who support assisted dying.

She said: "We should all have the right to make the choices and decisions we want about our own bodies. Let's be clear, we're not talking about a choice between life and death. We are talking about giving dying people a choice about how to die."

Leading the opposition to the bill, Conservative MP Danny Kruger said he believes Parliament can do “better” for terminally ill people than a 'state suicide service', adding MPs need to offer safeguards for the most vulnerable. The debate continued until around 2pm.

The government has not taken a position on the issue with MPs voting on their conscience in a ‘free vote’ and not along party lines. Greater Manchester's 27 MPs are split on the issue, but a small majority indicated they would support the bill ahead of the vote.

The bill will now go to committee stage where MPs can table amendments, before facing further scrutiny and votes in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, meaning any change in the law would not be agreed until next year at the earliest.

Under the bill, only terminally adults who are expected to die within six months and who have been resident in England and Wales and registered with a GP for at least 12 months would be eligible for assisted dying. They must have the mental capacity to make a choice about the end of their life and be deemed to have expressed a clear, settled and informed wish – free from coercion or pressure – to end their life.

Ms Leadbeater has suggested an assisted dying service would not be up and running for around another two years from the point the law was passed, with “even more consultation to make sure we get it right” at that stage.