The bill permits those in England and Wales expected to die within six months to be able to seek help in assisted dying.Isabel Infantes/Reuters
In a historic societal change, British MPs have narrowly approved a bill that will permit assisted dying in limited circumstances, ending an emotional debate that has divided the country for decades.
MPs voted in favour of the private members’ bill at third reading on Friday by a margin of 314 to 291. The bill moves on to the House of Lords which is unlikely to stand in the way of it becoming law.
“This is for all the people who couldn’t be here today. This vote sends a clear message. Parliament stands with the public and change is coming,” said Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, as she celebrated outside parliament with a group of supporters.
MPs were given a free vote Friday, which meant they did not have to follow party discipline and could follow their conscience. Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed the proposed legislation, but his cabinet was divided on the issue.
When MPs last debated a similar bill in 2015, it was soundly defeated 330 to 118. Public opinion has shifted since then and recent polls have indicated most people support some form of assisted dying
Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP who introduced the bill, said Friday’s vote was a “huge moment in time.”
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“I’m absolutely over the moon, because I know what this means to terminally ill people and to people who’ve lost loved ones. But I also know that some people are not supportive of the change, and I think it’s important to remain respectful of that,” she told the BBC.
The legislation will make it legal for terminally ill adults in England and Wales to seek help to end their lives if they are expected to die within six months. Each request would need to be assessed by two doctors and a panel composed of a social worker, a senior lawyer and a psychiatrist. All lethal drugs would have to be self-administered.
The Scottish legislature is considering a similar legislation and last March the Isle of Man became the first region of the U.K. to adopt a law that permits assisted dying. Northern Ireland’s parliament has yet to take up the issue.
MPs approved an earlier version of the bill at second reading last November by 330 votes to 275, a majority of 55. Since then, the bill has been amended and many MPs changed their minds as they wrestled with the implications of the proposed law. As result, the majority on Friday shrank to 23.
One major change was replacing the requirement that a High Court judge had to approve each request with the three-member panel. MPs argued the panel would provide more oversight, but some lawmakers said that change and others didn’t go far enough
“When the state takes a life, even with consent, that is a huge shift in the relationship between the individual and the state,” Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat told MPs.
Opponents of the assisted death bill demonstrate against its approval and opposing MPs pledge to continue fighting the bill in the House of Lords.Isabel Infantes/Reuters
“There is no doubt that if this bill is passed in its current form, people will lose their lives who do not need to, and they will be amongst the most vulnerable and marginalized in our society,” Labour MP Diane Abbott said.
Several MPs spoke of personal experiences and many choked back tears as they recounted loved ones who died.
“The time has come where we need to end suffering where suffering can be put aside, and not try to do something which is going to be super perfect and allow too many more people to suffer in the future,” said Conservative MP Mark Garnier who talked about how his mother suffered in her final days of battling pancreatic cancer.
“My mother would talk about it and she knew that she was going to die, but she was terrified of the pain, and on many occasions, she said to me and Caroline, my wife, ‘Can we make it end?’
The bill was passed in a 314-291 vote and will now move forward to the House of Lords where it is not expected to stand in its way of being law.Lucy North/The Associated Press
Canada’s law on medical assistance in dying, or MAID, has come up several times during the debate in Britain. The Canadian law came into force in 2016 for terminally ill people. It was broadened after a court challenge to include people suffering from a “serious and incurable illness, disease or disability,” and it will be further expanded in 2027 to include people with mental illness.
Mr. Tugendhat warned about the experience of Roger Foley, a Canadian born with a neurodegenerative disease who has told British MPs that he faced “neglect, verbal abuse, and denial of essential care” under Canada’s law.
United Nations report recommends Canada repeal MAID for people without terminal illnesses
“Sadly, this is not the only example we have heard,” Mr. Tugendhat said.
Opponents of the bill vowed to continue to press their case at the House of Lords. “Although the bill passed the Commons today, momentum remains with its opponents, with support consistently falling every time MPs have considered it,” said Catherine Robinson a spokesperson for Right to Life UK. She added that “the bill still faces an uphill battle to reach royal assent. We will be fighting it at every stage in the House of Lords.”