UK MPs back assisted dying law at first hurdle in historic vote

LONDON — MPs have voted by 330 to 275 in favor of a bill to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales for the first time.

MPs backed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced by backbench Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, at second reading, meaning it will now continue through parliament for further scrutiny.

The decision followed a packed five-hour debate in the House of Commons, where MPs made their choice in a free vote, meaning they did not have to vote on party lines.

Introducing the bill, Leadbeater urged her colleagues to reflect on “the heartbreaking reality and human suffering which far too many people are experiencing as a result of the status quo.”

She argued the legislation would give dying people choice, autonomy and dignity at the end of their lives.

Danny Kruger, a Conservative MP and one of the most prominent critics of the bill, said MPs should not opt for “a vote for despair but the start of a proper debate about dying well in which we do better than a state suicide service.”

At present, laws throughout the U.K. prevent people from receiving medical help to die.

This is a live story which is being updated.