The assisted dying bill has passed its second reading. After an emotionally charged debate, MPs have voted 330 to 275 in support of private members bill – a majority of 55. It means that Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater will now take her bill to committee stage for further scrutiny as parliament edges closer to giving some terminally ill people the right to end their lives in England and Wales.
This comes after weeks of debate and criticism, including within Keir Starmer’s own cabinet – with both the Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood voicing concerns over the bill, which would allow those with just six months to live to seek help to end their own lives.
Some of the MPs who backed it today could oppose it later down the line
So, will the ‘Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill’ now become law? That’s still not a given.
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