'Historic step': UK MPs back assisted dying; bill heads to House of Lords
AP photo
Britain took a historic step toward legalising
euthanasia
on Friday as Members of Parliament (MPs) backed a controversial bill that would introduce assisted dying for terminally ill people.
In the House of Commons, lawmakers voted 314 to 291 in favour of sending the proposal to the House of Lords for further consideration, following four hours of emotional debate.
The outcome sparked celebrations among supporters gathered outside Parliament, who argued that legalising euthanasia would offer dignity and choice to people facing incurable illnesses at the end of their lives.
At the same time, opponents at a nearby counter-protest voiced concerns that vulnerable individuals could be pressured into choosing death and called on lawmakers to instead prioritise improvements in palliative care.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill would allow assisted suicide in England and Wales for adults diagnosed with less than six months to live. Under the proposed law, individuals would need to self-administer the life-ending medication, and their decision would require approval from two doctors and a panel of experts.
If passed, the bill would bring Britain in line with several countries in Europe and elsewhere — such as Belgium and the Netherlands — that have already legalised some form of assisted dying.
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'Heartbreaking stories'
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the bill, told Friday's third reading debate that changing the law would 'offer a compassionate and safe choice' to terminally ill people.
She argued that keeping the current ban in place would result in more 'heartbreaking stories' of 'pain and trauma, suicide attempts, PTSD, lonely trips to Switzerland, (and) police investigations.'
However, Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft raised concerns that the bill did not include strong enough safeguards to protect disabled individuals.
'We have to protect those people who are susceptible to coercion, who already feel like society doesn't value them, who often feel like a burden to the state, society and their family,' she said.
Outside Parliament, demonstrators held placards with messages such as 'Let us choose' and 'Don't make doctors killers.'
David Walker, 82, shared his personal story of supporting the bill after witnessing his wife suffer for three years toward the end of her life.
'That's why I'm here, because I can't help her anymore, but I can help other people who are going through the same thing, because if you have no quality of life, you have nothing,' he told AFP.
But Elizabeth Burden, a 52-year-old doctor, warned that the legislation could lead to a 'slippery slope' where eligibility for assisted dying might expand.
'Once we allow this. Everything will slip down because dementia patients, all patients...
are vulnerable,' she told AFP.
Public support
MPs had initially backed an earlier version of the bill in November by 330 to 275 votes. Since then, several changes have been made, including a ban on advertising assisted dying and provisions allowing all healthcare workers to opt out of participating in the process.
Lawmakers also added a safeguard to prevent eligibility 'solely as a result of voluntarily stopping eating or drinking,' effectively ruling out cases such as people with anorexia.
Britain's medical community remains divided, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's cabinet is also split. His health and justice secretaries have publicly opposed the proposed law.
However, public support appears strong. A YouGov poll of 2,003 adults, conducted last month and published on Thursday, found that 73 per cent of respondents supported the introduction of an assisted dying law.
The bill now moves to the House of Lords, which must approve the legislation before the end of the current parliamentary year, likely in the autumn, or it will lapse.
If passed and granted royal assent, the law would take approximately four years to implement before assisted dying services become available.
A government impact assessment published this month estimated that between 160 and 640 assisted deaths could take place in the first year, potentially rising to 4,500 annually within a decade.
Assisted suicide is currently illegal in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, carrying a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.
Meanwhile, a separate assisted dying bill is progressing through the devolved Scottish Parliament. In March, the Isle of Man became the first British territory to pass an assisted dying bill.
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