UK MPs back bill to allow terminally ill adults to end their lives

Members of the House of Commons in UK on Friday, 20 June, approved a bill to allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to choose to end their lives in a historic vote that takes it a step nearer to becoming law.

The MPs approved the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would pave the way for huge social change. After clearing the lower house by 314 votes, with 291 votes against, the bill will now go to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.

Prior to the voting, the MPs indulged in an impassioned, respectful and emotionally charged debate which saw several MPs recount personal stories of seeing friends and relatives die. Significantly, the majority of 23 was less than the 55 when they last voted on the issue in November, meaning that some lawmakers changed their minds in the intervening months.

Since November, the bill has been scrutinised, leading to some changes, most significant being the dropping of the requirement that a judge sign off on any decision.

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MPs were allowed a free vote on the bill, meaning they did not have to follow a party policy. While Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer backed the measure, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and health secretary Wes Streeting voted against. Labour’s Kim Leadbeater, shepherded the bill in Parliament.

Speaking to the BBC after the vote Leadbeater said she was “over the moon”. She said, “I know what this means for terminally ill people and their loved ones,” and added that it had been a “particularly emotional week” because it marked nine years since the murder of her sister Jo Cox, who had been a Labour MP at the time.

 The unelected members of the House of Lords can amend or delay policy, but not overrule bill passed by the lower chamber. The vote is potentially the biggest change to social policy since abortion was partially legalized in 1967.

Once cleared by the Lords, ministers will have a maximum of four years to implement the measures, meaning it could be 2029 before assisted dying becomes available.

This particular bill, however, does not apply to Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Other countries that have legalized assisted suicide include Australia, Belgium, Canada and parts of the United States, with regulations on who is eligible varying by jurisdiction.

Assisted suicide is different from euthanasia, allowed in the Netherlands and Canada, which involves health care practitioners administering a lethal injection at the patient's request in specific circumstances.

 With PTI inputs