Historic vote brings assisted dying closer to becoming law in England and Wales
More than 300 MPs backed a Bill that would allow terminally ill adults with a life expectancy of less than six months to end their lives.
Yes campaigners wept, jumped and hugged each other outside parliament as the vote result was announced, while some MPs appeared visibly emotional as they left the chamber.
Others lined up to shake hands with Kim Leadbeater, the Bill's sponsor through the Commons, with some, including Home Office minister Jess Phillips, stopping to hug the Spen Valley MP.
Despite warnings from opponents around the safety of a Bill they argued has been rushed through, the proposed legislation has taken another step in the parliamentary process.
MPs voted 314 to 291, majority 23, to approve Ms Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at third reading.
This means the Bill has completed its first stages in the Commons and will move to the House of Lords for further debate and scrutiny.
Both Houses must agree the final text of the Bill before it can be signed into law.
Due to the four-year implementation period, it could be 2029 – potentially coinciding with the end of this Government's Parliament – before assisted dying is offered.
Encouraging or assisting suicide is currently against the law in England and Wales, with a maximum jail sentence of 14 years.
Supporters of assisted dying have described the current law as not being fit for purpose, with desperate terminally ill people feeling the need to end their lives in secret or go abroad to Dignitas alone, for fear loved ones will be prosecuted for helping them.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer remained supportive of the Bill, voting yes on Friday as he had done last year.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who had urged MPs to vote against the legislation, describing it as 'a bad Bill' despite being 'previously supportive of assisted suicide', voted no.
Friday was the first time the Bill was debated and voted on in its entirety since last year's historic yes vote, when MPs supported the principle of assisted dying for England and Wales by a majority of 55 at second reading.
Labour MP Ms Leadbeater has argued her Bill will 'correct the profound injustices of the status quo and to offer a compassionate and safe choice to terminally ill people who want to make it'.
During an hours-long date on Friday, MPs on both sides of the issue recalled personal stories of loved ones who had died.
Conservative former minister Sir James Cleverly, who led the opposition to the Bill in the Commons, spoke of a close friend who died 'painfully' from cancer.
He said he comes at the divisive issue 'not from a position of faith nor from a position of ignorance', and was driven in his opposition by 'concerns about the practicalities' of the Bill.
MPs had a free vote on the Bill, meaning they decided according to their conscience rather than along party lines.
The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. Public support for a change in the law remains high, according to a YouGov poll published on the eve of the vote.
The survey of 2,003 adults in Great Britain, suggested 73% of those asked last month were supportive of the Bill, while the proportion of people who feel assisted dying should be legal in principle stood at 75%.
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Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Lords peers vow to fight law on assisted dying as they warn it may not 'see the light of day' despite narrow backing by MPs
Campaigners last night vowed to fight the assisted dying Bill in the Lords after MPs moved to legalise it in a historic vote. In a sign of the concern about the Bill, it passed through the Commons by just 23 votes yesterday – 32 fewer than when MPs backed it in principle in November. MPs questioned whether there was a clear mandate to introduce one of the most significant social changes in Britain for decades. And peers vowed there would be an 'attritional' fight when the legislation, decried as a 'bad Bill' after multiple amendments were laid and safeguards stripped out, moves to the House of Lords. One warned that it may not 'see the light of day'. The Commons voted 314 to 291 in favour of allowing terminally ill people to end their lives with the help of the State, meaning that when abstentions are included, a majority of MPs did not back the Bill. Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves voted in favour, while opponents included Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will undergo further scrutiny in the Lords, but peers said there was 'no constitutional reason' why it could not be amended significantly or even thrown out by the Upper House. Following an emotional debate in the Commons, Ms Leadbeater described the vote as a 'huge moment in time' and said it would 'correct the profound injustices of the status quo and offer a compassionate and safe choice to terminally ill people'. TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen, who has terminal lung cancer and led the campaign for assisted dying, said: 'This will make a huge positive difference, protecting millions of terminally ill patients and their families from the agony and loss of dignity created by a bad death.' But leading opponent Danny Kruger – whose mother, Dame Prue Leith, was outside Westminster campaigning in favour of the legalisation yesterday – said the vote showed support 'is ebbing away very fast'. The Tory MP added: 'I'm hopeful now, inspired by that debate and by the falling away of support for the Bill, that the Lords will feel they have a real job to do – to examine closely how the Bill will operate and to introduce their own amendments to make it safer, or to reject the Bill altogether.' Tory peer and former Cabinet minister Mark Harper said it was possible the Bill may not 'see the light of day'. Lord Harper, who is against assisted dying, told the Mail: 'It's not a government Bill and it wasn't in anybody's manifesto, so there is no constitutional reason why the Lords shouldn't do its job properly and amend the Bill considerably if required.' Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson – a leading opponent of assisted dying – said disabled people were 'absolutely terrified' about the Bill as she vowed to add significant safeguards in the Lords. It is thought it will take four years to implement the Bill should it clear the remaining stages this year and receive royal assent, meaning the first assisted death in Britain would take place by 2029. This would mark the first time the State sanctioned a death since capital punishment was abolished in 1965, and the Government forecasts that up to 4,500 people could end their lives early each year within a decade. Under the legislation terminally ill people in England and Wales diagnosed with less than six months to live will be allowed to seek medical help to die Opening the debate in the Commons, Spen Valley MP Ms Leadbeater said her Bill proposed a 'robust process that goes further than any other piece of legislation in the world'. She added: 'Giving dying people choice about how they die is about compassion, control, dignity and bodily autonomy. Surely we should all have the right to decide what happens to our bodies and decide when enough is enough.' But after the vote, Tory MP Greg Smith said: 'It is not too late for us to step back from the brink and pull the plug on this Bill, which now lacks majority support in the Commons. I trust the House of Lords to scrutinise the Bill in depth and hope it will never reach royal assent.' Catherine Robinson, from campaign group Right To Life UK, said: 'The Bill leaves the Commons lacking a majority, with fewer than half of all MPs voting for it at its final stage. We will be fighting this Bill at every stage in the House of Lords, where we are confident it can be overturned given its continued loss of support.' The assisted dying Bill that returned to the Commons yesterday was significantly changed from the one presented to MPs at the second reading vote in November. Among radical amendments were the removal of the High Court safeguard – with a senior judge replaced by so-called 'suicide panels' made up of a lawyer, psychiatrist and social worker. The proposed legislation will allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death. Subject to approval by two doctors and an 'expert panel', the terminally ill person would take an approved substance, provided by a doctor but administered only by the person themselves. Religious groups expressed horror at the Bill's passing. Bishop of London the Rt Rev Sarah Mullally, who sits in the House of Lords, said her peers 'must oppose' the Bill due to the 'mounting evidence that it is unworkable and unsafe'.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Suicide pod inventor ‘vows to bring device to UK' after assisted dying vote despite mystery over ‘murder' of woman
THE inventor of the controversial Sacro "suicide pod" has vowed to bring the death device to the UK - despite it facing scrutiny over the alleged murder of a woman. It comes as MPs on Friday passed landmark assisted dying laws in a knife-edge final vote. 4 4 4 4 Terminally ill adults are set to be given the legal right to end their lives. The decision paves the way for the biggest shake-up in end-of-life care in decades after weeks of furious lobbying on both sides. The Bill now moves to the House of Lords for further scrutiny before it can become law. If passed, it would mean adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live will be allowed to apply for a medically assisted death, under strict safeguards. Dr Philip Nitschke, who invented the bizarre-looking Sacro pod used in assisted dying, said he hoped to use the device in the UK. It is a human-sized pod which replaces the oxygen inside it with nitrogen, causing death by hypoxia. Dubbed the "Tesla of euthanasia", it is self-operated by a button on the inside, providing death without medical supervision. A camera inside records their final moments, and the video is handed to a coroner. Dr Nitschke said: 'As soon as we know that the final legislation is in place, we'll start enthusiastically pursuing the option of using the device in the UK. 'We'll be looking to find UK-registered doctors to assist, and of course, someone who wants to use it and satisfies all of the requirements under the law. First woman to die in 'suicide pod' may have been strangled, prosecutor claims "The doctors involved would know that this would attract attention and possible close scrutiny, which by and large most doctors aren't enthusiastic about, so we'd have to find someone who's a little crusading.' Dr Nitschke invented the Sarco in 2012. Last year, he developed a double pod that could be used by a couple who wish to die together, The Times reports. He said: 'If we were able to make use of the device available in the UK, there would be quite a few more applications, I imagine, because people want to die in their own home, or more importantly, be able to take the Sarco to some nice place in the UK rather than having to try and go to some strange country.' The suicide pod activist started the process of assisted dying using the pod last year with The Last Resort organisation - an assisted dying group based in Switzerland. However, the pod became the centre of an alleged murder investigation after the first woman to die inside it was allegedly found with strangulation marks on her neck. died last year inside the controversial capsule set up in a forest in Switzerland. The woman is said to have initiated the dying process herself by pressing a button while lying in the pod in the middle of the forest. What measures are included in the bill? would exclude those with eating disorders. It followed concern over the wording of the potential law would provide a loophole for those with anorexia to end their own lives. The Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olne tabled the amendment. The Royal College of Psychiatrists also expressed concern over any people with mental disorders such as anxiety or depression using the Bill in a similar way. END-OF-LIFE CARE Another amendment requiring ministers to assess the impact on palliative care within a year also passed. Charity Marie Curie warning this alone would not "make the improvements needed" in end-of-life care. REFLECTION PERIOD Some parts of the Bill have stayed the same, however. Two doctors must be independently satisfied a person is eligible for assisted dying. The medics must do their assessments at least seven days apart. There must be a 14-day "reflection period" if the High Court decides the patient can undergo assisted dying. If the two doctors are still satisfied once the period has been completed, the patients will be prescribed lethal drugs. THE PAPERWORK Brits who want to end their lives early must show have the mental capacity to make a choice about ending their life. They must also be deemed to have expressed a clear, settled and informed wish, free from coercion or pressure. If the patient can prove this, they will then have to make two separate declarations, witnessed and signed, saying they want to die. WHAT IS IN THE BILL? The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill applies to those over 18, who are living in England or Wales, and have been registered with a GP for at least 12 months. They must have the mental capacity to make the choice. They must be informed and free from coercion or pressure before making the choice. According to the Bill, they must have a terminal illness and be expected to die within six months. It requires them to declare their wish twice, both witnessed and signed. Two doctors must be satisfied that these requirements are met before the application is approved. A doctor would prepare the substance being used to end the patient's life, but the person would take it themselves. Coercing someone into declaring they want to end their life will be illegal, with a possible 14-year prison sentence. However, a forensic expert who checked her body shortly after she died found injuries near her neck that appeared similar to strangulation marks. The American woman was reportedly terminally ill and had been dying for two years. She was diagnosed with Osteomyelitis - a disease that could have manifested the alleged injury marks on her neck - according to Dutch media. But her death raised a host of legal and ethical questions in Switzerland, where active euthanasia is banned but assisted dying has been legal for decades. Cops took several people into custody, including Dr Florian Willet, the president of The Last Resort organisation. The right-to-die activist, 47, suffered a mental breakdown after being arrested by Swiss Police last year, according to Dr Nitschke. As part of the probe, prosecutors investigated whether he strangled the woman, but that was ruled out. Willet was released in December after being held in pre-trial detention for 70 days. He reportedly died in Germany with the help of a specialist organisation, though it is not known exactly how he died. YOU'RE NOT ALONE EVERY 90 minutes in the UK, a life is lost to suicide. It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign. The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives. Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Rape charge against asylum seeker in taxpayer-funded hotel kept quiet to avoid inflaming ‘community tension in cover up'
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Advertisement READ MORE ON ASYLUM SEEKERS BOUND FOR BRITAIN Speaking French & German… migrants booted out of EU heading to Britain The authorities must trust the public with the truth and act to protect them.' The rape suspects were all housed in Home Office-funded accommodation in Portsmouth, London and Manchester. At Portsmouth, the alleged rape was followed by a concerted effort to keep secret the suspect's link to an asylum hotel. He was charged with rape and voyeurism after the alleged attack on a woman on June 11. Advertisement Police confirmed to The Sun he had been at the Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea, used to house asylum seekers. The man appeared at Portsmouth magistrates' court on June 16. He was remanded in custody and is no longer at the hotel. Migrants dodge tear gas in sprint across beach to reach boats bound for Britain No statement was issued about the case but Portsmouth City Council officials were briefed privately. The Sun understands councillors were warned not to speak about the suspect's housing, with one council officer raising fears about 'community tension' if it was known. Advertisement Another senior official privately urged Portsmouth Independents Party leader Cllr George Madgwick not to share 'privileged confidential information' after he took to social media to express his frustration. 4 Reform leader Nigel Farage has called for dismissals of the council officials involved Credit: Getty 4 Robert Jenrick MP has warned the 'perception of a migrant cover-up' was growing Credit: Getty Cllr Madgwick said: 'This is precisely why the public don't trust politicians and public bodies: things are hidden that should be disclosed. Advertisement Anyone involved in any form of cover-up from disclosure to the public should question their role in a publicly funded position.' 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She allegedly told him to stop the assault, in Harmondsworth, West London, on June 9. He claims she consented to sex. Akbari arrived in the UK last year, claiming he is Christian and at risk in Iran. He is in custody and will return to court on July 18. Two similar cases also saw no public statements issued about the suspects' links to asylum housing. One involved a 27-year-old man staying at a hotel in Kensington, West London. He faces multiple charges over a serious sex attack, including rape and attempted rape. Advertisement He pleaded not guilty on June 2 and was remanded in custody before a trial in October. In Manchester, a Jordanian with an asylum claim under way was charged with rape while living at a Home Office-contracted hotel. He appeared at Tameside magistrates' court last month and was remanded in custody until a crown court hearing next week. The man, 34, has yet to enter a plea. Meanwhile, an asylum seeker in a hotel in Yorkshire was charged with raping a girl aged 13 to 15 last Boxing Day. 4 There have been multiple assaults involving asylum seekers across the UK Credit: Alamy Advertisement Last night the Government said: 'We have taken action to ban foreign nationals who commit sexual offences from being granted asylum.' Our revelations come after an illegal migrant was jailed for raping a girl of 15, amid claims he did not understand 'cultural differences'. Afghan national Sadeq Nikzad, 29, pounced on the teen in Falkirk in October 2023. Defence counsel Janice Green told the High Court in Livingston there was a 'cultural barrier' with Nikzad's home nation where child marriage is common. There is no suggestion any of the accused in the three latest rape cases are linked to grooming gangs. Advertisement But the issue of alleged criminality by illegal arrivals was raised in an official report this week. A damning review by Dame Louise Casey found they are involved in a 'significant proportion' of live police investigations into child sex grooming gangs. The report found police and council leaders covered up the scale of Asian grooming gangs since concerns were first raised in 2009 as they feared being called racist or raising community tensions. Additional reporting: RICHARD MORIARTY
