The private members bill, brought by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater will give adults with less than six months to live the right to die once the request has been signed off by two doctors and a high court judge.
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The free vote, which means MPS could vote with their conscience rather than along party lines, was passed by 330 votes to 275 after an impassioned six-hour debate, in which MPs on both sides shared their experiences of caring for terminally ill family members. The Prime Minister and Chancellor both voted for the Bill, but the Cabinet was split with at least six members, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting, voting against.
Proponents have argued that it will allow people the right to die with dignity. Peter Prinsley, a Labour MP and surgeon, said he had changed his mind to support the bill after witnessing ‘the terrifying loss of dignity and control in the last days of life’.
But opponents have raised concerns about safeguarding vulnerable patients and the current rickety state of palliative care. Florence Eshalomi, another Labour MP told the House: ‘We should be helping people to live comfortable pain-free lives on their own terms before we think about making it easier for them to die.’
It will now go through a stage of extensive scrutiny by parliamentary committees before being brought back to the House to become law. It is unlikely to take effect for the next three years.