British lawmakers on Friday gave initial approval to a bill aimed at helping terminally ill adults end their lives in England and Wales.
After a passionate debate, deputies approved the so-called assisted dying bill by 330 votes to 275.
The vote came after hours of debate – sometimes emotional – that touched on questions of ethics, grief, law, faith, crime and money. Hundreds of people from both sides gathered outside Parliament.
Supporters said the law would provide dignity to the dying and avoid unnecessary suffering, while ensuring there are enough safeguards to prevent people at the end of their lives from being forced to commit suicide. Opponents said it would put vulnerable people at risk, potentially being forced, directly or indirectly, to end their lives so as not to become a burden.
Alberto Pezzali / AP
Supporters of the bill have told heartbreaking stories of constituents and family members who suffered in the final months of their lives and of dying people who committed suicide in secret because it is currently a crime for anyone to provide help.
“Let’s be clear, we’re not talking about a choice between life or death, we’re talking about giving the dying a choice on how to die,” the bill’s lead sponsor, Kim Leadbeater, said in the speech opening in front of a packed room. .
She admitted that it’s not an easy decision for lawmakers, but that “if any of us wanted an easy life, this is the wrong place.” Danny Kruger, who led the debate against the bill, said he believed Parliament could do “better”. ” for terminally ill people as a “state service against suicide” and that the role of legislatures is to offer guarantees to the most vulnerable.
“We are the safeguard, this place, this Parliament, you and me,” he said. “We are the ones who protect the most vulnerable in society and yet we are on the verge of abandoning this role.”
Alberto Pezzali / AP
Opponents have cited the danger that vulnerable, elderly and disabled people will be forced to opt for medically assisted dying to save money or ease the burden on their family members. Others have called for improved palliative care to alleviate suffering as an alternative.
Danny Kruger, who led the debate against the bill, said he believed Parliament could do “better” for terminally ill people than a “national victims’ support service” and that the role legislatures was to offer guarantees to the most vulnerable.
“We are the safeguard, this place, this Parliament, you and me,” he said. “We are the ones who protect the most vulnerable in society and yet we are on the verge of abandoning this role.”
Alberto Pezzali / AP
Although the bill was proposed by a member of the ruling center-left Labor Party, it was an open vote with alliances formed that brought together those who are usually political enemies.
Basically, the bill would allow adults over the age of 18 who are estimated to have less than six months to live to seek and receive assistance in ending their lives, subject to safeguards and protections. They would have to be able to take the deadly drugs themselves.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has previously supported assisted dying, said the government would remain neutral and would not reveal how it would vote. Some members of his cabinet said they would support the bill, while others opposed it. Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the main opposition Conservative Party, said she would vote against it.
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 Britons have ended their lives in Switzerland, where the law allows medical assistance in dying for non-residents.
Assisted suicide is different from euthanasia, permitted in the Netherlands and Canada, which involves medical professionals administering a lethal injection at the patient’s request in specific circumstances.
