Lawmakers in the United Kingdom have voted to support a controversial bill that would allow terminally ill adults to seek medical aid in dying, bringing the country closer to legalising the practice.
Following hours of intense debate on Friday, the House of Commons passed the Assisted Dying Bill by a vote of 330 to 275. The legislation, which still requires further debate in both Houses of Parliament, would apply to patients in England and Wales diagnosed with a terminal condition and expected to live for less than six months.
The bill allows eligible adults over 18 to choose medically assisted death, with the decision requiring approval from two doctors and a judge. Supporters argue the law would offer terminally ill patients greater autonomy over their end-of-life decisions.
“Let’s be clear, we’re not talking about a choice between life or death. We are talking about giving dying people a choice about how to die,” said Kim Leadbeater, a Labour MP and the bill’s main sponsor, during her opening remarks in the packed chamber.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, voted in favour of the bill but refrained from publicly sharing his views before the debate. The proposal, however, saw opposition from several members of his government, highlighting divisions on the sensitive issue.
Opposition and Concerns
Leading the opposition was Conservative MP Danny Kruger, who warned that the bill could undermine the role of Parliament in protecting vulnerable citizens.
“We are the safeguard, this place, this Parliament, you and me. We are the people who protect the most vulnerable in society from harm, and yet we stand on the brink of abandoning that role,” Kruger said during the debate.
Outside Parliament, activists from the “Not Dead Yet” campaign, which opposes assisted dying, gathered to voice their concerns. They argue that legalising assisted dying could pressure vulnerable individuals into ending their lives prematurely.
Public Support and Comparisons
Polls indicate widespread public support for assisted dying in the UK, with a recent Gallup poll showing that a majority of Britons favour such legislation. Similar laws are already in place in 10 U.S. states, including Oregon and Washington, and euthanasia is legal in countries like the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Unlike more expansive laws in Switzerland and Canada, which permit assisted death in cases of suffering regardless of terminal illness, the UK bill is narrowly focused on terminally ill patients.
If enacted, the law would take up to two years to implement to ensure safeguards and proper procedures are in place. “It is more important to get this right than to do it quickly,” Leadbeater told BBC.
Scotland is considering a separate assisted dying bill, while Northern Ireland has no similar proposal under review.
The vote marks a significant step in the UK’s ongoing debate on end-of-life care, with further discussions expected as the bill advances through Parliament.
