MPs have backed proposals to legalize euthanasia in England and Wales in a historic vote, paving the way for a change in the law.
Terminally ill adults expected to die within six months could seek help to end their lives under draft legislation before parliament.
In the first vote on the issue in the House of Commons in nearly a decade, MPs supported the bill by 330 votes to 275, a majority of 55 votes.
The bill will now face months of debate and scrutiny by MPs and peers, who can choose to amend it, and will need approval from both houses of parliament before becoming law.
MPs have free voting rights, which means they can make decisions based on their conscience rather than following party lines.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak voted in favor, while Tory leader Keemi Badenock voted against.
The prime minister, who supported changing the law in 2015, did not speak at the debate or reveal how he planned to vote early, saying he did not want to influence MPs’ decisions.
The government has taken a neutral stance on the bill, with Justice Secretary Alex Davies-Jones confirming at the end of the debate that it would “ensure any bill is valid and its provisions are enforced” if parliament supports changes to the law.
Labor MP Kim Leadbeater, who tabled the bill, said she was “a bit overwhelmed” after the vote and it meant “hugely” to be able to tell campaigners the bill had passed its first hurdle in parliament.
She promised Parliament would now undertake a “thorough review process” to make the bill “the best possible”.
In an emotional debate that lasted more than four hours, MPs on both sides of the argument shared personal stories that informed their decisions before a packed chamber.
More than 160 MPs asked to speak, but due to time constraints, few got the chance.
Leadbeater opened the debate by saying current laws “failed” and needed to be changed to give terminally ill patients options at the end of their lives.
The Spoon Valley councilor said too many people were experiencing “heartbreaking” suffering due to the “harsh reality” of the current situation.
She gave examples of terminally ill patients who died “screaming for help” or who took their own lives because of uncontrollable pain.
Others who can afford it travel to Switzerland or elsewhere to seek euthanasia, she said, describing it as “often a very painful and very lonely experience”.
Opponents of the bill worry that terminally ill people, especially the elderly, disabled or vulnerable, may be forced to take their own lives.
Leadbeater insisted her bill includes “the strongest safeguards and protections in the world” as well as strict eligibility criteria.
To qualify for euthanasia under the bill, a person must have the mental capacity to make the choice to end his life and express a “clear, definite and informed” wish at every stage of the process, without coercion or pressure.
Two independent doctors and a High Court judge must be satisfied that a person is eligible and voluntarily makes the decision.
However, Conservative MP Danny Kruger argued the procedure was insufficient because doctors would not need to survey or interview friends and family to determine whether someone was suffering from stress.
He told the House of Commons that the “greater danger” was people putting pressure on themselves because they felt “a burden to others” or that they were unable to get the treatment they needed.
Kruger urged MPs to vote against a National Suicide Service to protect vulnerable people from harm.
