British lawmakers vote for a bill that would legalize assisted dying

Supporters of a bill to legalize assisted dying demonstrate in front of Parliament in London.

By Brian Melley and Pan Pylas

Nov. 29, 2024 1:12 PM PT

LONDON — British lawmakers gave initial approval Friday to a bill to help terminally ill adults end their lives in England and Wales, following an impassioned debate that saw people sharing personal stories of loss and suffering.

Members of Parliament approved the assisted-dying bill by a 330-275 vote, signaling their approval in principle for the bill, which will undergo further scrutiny before it goes to a final vote.

The vote came after hours of debate — emotional at times — that touched on issues of ethics, grief, the law, faith, crime and money. There was none of the shouting that often marks debates in the House of Commons, and speeches were considered respectfully and heard in silence.

“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,” the bill’s main sponsor, Kim Leadbeater, said as she presented the bill to a packed chamber.

She conceded that it’s not an easy decision for lawmakers but that “if any of us wanted an easy life, they’re in the wrong place.”

Supporters said the law would provide dignity to the dying and prevent unnecessary suffering, while ensuring there are enough safeguards to prevent those near the end of their lives from being coerced into killing themselves.

Backers of the bill told heart-wrenching stories about constituents and family members who suffered in the final months of their lives and dying people who committed suicide in secret because it is currently a crime for anyone to provide assistance.

Those opposed spoke of the danger that vulnerable, elderly and disabled people could be coerced into opting for assisted dying to save money or relieve the burden on family members. Others called for the improvement of palliative care to ease suffering as an alternative.

The bill would allow adults 18 or older who are expected to have fewer than six months to live to request and be provided with help to end their life, subject to safeguards and protections.

They would have to be capable of taking the fatal drugs themselves, and two independent doctors and a High Court judge would have to sign off on any decision. The bill would not apply to Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Danny Kruger, who led the argument against the bill, cautioned lawmakers not to back a “state suicide service.” He argued that no amount of safeguarding would stop many vulnerable people feeling the pressure to make a request to end their lives.

Kruger voiced disappointment at the outcome but said there’s a chance lawmakers will reject the bill when it comes back for a vote in the next few months. Some of those voting in favor said they only did so to examine the details further and could potentially vote against it in the future.

“I still think we can stop it,” he said.

Although the bill was proposed by Leadbeater, a member of the ruling center-left Labor Party, it was an open vote with alliances formed across the political divide.

The government is widely expected to come up in the next few months with assessments on how assisted dying will be funded and how it would affect the U.K.’s state-funded National Health Service, hospice care and the legal system.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not show his hand ahead of the vote, but backed the change. Others in his Cabinet, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood, voted against. There were similar divisions across other political parties.

Longtime British campaigner Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill with lung cancer and played a leading role in advocating the need for a vote on assisted dying, said the bill will give people an “equal choice.”

When diagnosed with her terminal illness, Rantzen said she would travel to Switzerland to bring an end to her life, where the law allows assisted dying for nonresidents.

Hundreds of people on both sides of the issue gathered outside Parliament on a cold but bright day as the debate continued for nearly five hours.

Opponents held signs saying, “Kill the bill, not the ill,” and, referring to the National Health Service, “NHS It’s cradle to grave. Not ‘til old, inconvenient or expensive!”

The group Dignity in Dying, many wearing pink winter hats, led supporters as they held signs saying, “Giving me choice over my death,” and “You can’t cure death. Please make it fear free.”

Backers of the measure erupted in cheers when the result was announced, and hugged one another.

“It’s a relief, it’s history, finally we are getting towards having a society that shows love and compassion above the need to just keep people alive,” said Joshua Cook, 33, who has Huntington’s disease, an incurable neurodegenerative disorder.

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. More than 500 British people have ended their lives in Switzerland.

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

Melley and Pylas write for the Associated Press.