British MPs approve a bill to help terminally ill adults end their lives

By BRIAN MELLEY and PAN PYLAS, Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers gave initial approval Friday to a bill to help terminally ill adults end their lives in England and Wales, after a passionate debate in which people shared personal stories of loss and suffering.

MPs approved the assisted death bill by a vote of 330 to 275, giving in-principle approval to the bill, which will undergo further scrutiny before reaching a final vote.

Friday’s vote came after hours of debate — sometimes emotional — on issues of ethics, faith and law. There was none of the braying and shouting that often characterizes debates in the House of Commons, and speeches were treated with respect and heard in silence.

“Let’s be clear: we’re not talking about a choice between life and death, we’re talking about giving dying people a choice about how they want to die,” said the bill’s lead sponsor, Kim Leadbeater, as she announced it. presented the bill to a packed room. room.

Supporters said the law would give dignity to the dying and prevent suffering, while protecting the vulnerable.

Opponents say disabled and elderly people risk being forced, directly or indirectly, to end their lives to save money or ease the burden on family members. Others alternatively called for improvements in palliative care to alleviate suffering.

The proposed bill would allow adults over the age of 18, who are expected to live less than six months, to request and receive assistance to end their lives, subject to several safeguards.

They should be able to take the deadly drugs themselves, and two independent doctors and a Supreme Court judge will have to sign off on any decision. The bill will not apply to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The bill’s supporters told heartbreaking stories of constituents and family members suffering in the final months of their lives and dying people committing suicide in secret because it is currently a crime for anyone to provide aid.

Danny Kruger, who led the argument against the bill, warned lawmakers against supporting a “state suicide squad.” He argued that no amount of security measures will be able to stop many vulnerable people from feeling the pressure to request to end their lives.

Kruger expressed disappointment in the outcome, but said there is a chance lawmakers will reject the bill if it is voted on in the coming months. Some of those who voted in favor said they only did so to further investigate the details and might vote against 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 that saw alliances formed across political divides.

It is widely expected that the government will release reviews in the coming months on how assisted dying will be funded and what impact this would have on the UK’s state-funded National Health Service, hospice care and the justice system.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not show his hand before the vote, but supported the change. Others in his cabinet, including Health Minister Wes Streeting and Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood, voted against. There were similar divisions among other political parties.

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, expressed her delight at the “wonderful” outcome and said it will give people an “equal choice”. give. .”

When diagnosed with a terminal illness, Rantzen said she would travel to Switzerland to end her life, where law allows assisted death for non-residents.

Hundreds of people on both sides of the issue gathered outside Parliament on a cold but clear day as the debate lasted almost five hours.

Opponents held signs reading: ‘Kill the bill, not the sick’, and, referring to the National Health Service: ‘NHS It’s from the cradle to the grave. Not until old, clumsy or expensive!”

The group Dignity in Dying, many wearing pink winter hats, led supporters as they held signs reading “Give me a choice over my death” and “You cannot cure death.” Please make it free from fear.”

Supporters of the measure burst into cheers when the results were announced and hugged each other.

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

Other countries that have legalized assisted suicide include Australia, Belgium, Canada and parts of the United States, with rules on who is eligible varying by jurisdiction.

Assisted suicide is different from euthanasia, permitted in the Netherlands Canada, where healthcare providers administer a lethal injection at the request of the patient in specific circumstances.

Originally published: November 29, 2024 at 4:02 PM PST