Historic vote to legalize assisted dying on the edge of the knife

The biggest social change Friday in England may be driven by the closest margins in fifty years.

A. Historic vote among MPs on whether it will be legalized or not. assisted death It seems to be on a knife edge and those who support it are thought to be ahead by a narrow margin.

If passed, the law could lead to the biggest reform of UK society since the abolition of the death penalty in 1965 and the introduction of abortion two years later.

Labor backer Kim Leadbeater insisted the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was “sound”. potentially the “strictest protections” against oppression anywhere in the world It requires the signatures of two doctors and a Supreme Court judge.

He has the support of former prime minister Lord Cameron as well as two former health ministers. Andy Burnham and Matt Hancock.

But high-profile opponents include former Prime Ministers Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Gordon Brown. Brown said last week that her newborn daughter’s death in January 2002 convinced her of “the value and necessity of ending life well.” care”.

At the eleventh hour, MPs were also warned by a regulator that Parliament needed to be given further assurances that the bill was compatible with human rights.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission, which says it is neutral on assisted dying, warned there was “insufficient detailed analysis” of human rights issues.

A leading consultant also said: Independent If assisted dying becomes legal, the pressure exerted by doctors and other medical professionals poses one of the greatest dangers to vulnerable, elderly and disabled people.

Baroness Ilora Finlay, a consultant in palliative care and also a member of the House of Lords, said it was “often almost impossible” to detect coercion in patients.

It is understood that at least 175 MPs wanted to speak on the bill during a five-and-a-half-hour debate on the bill, starting at 9.30am on Friday; However, the majority have not yet publicly announced which way they will vote.

According to a spreadsheet run by one of the campaigns he saw IndependentBut both camps are neck and neck, 199 to 196 out of 650 total.

If the bill passes by a small margin, a comparison could be made with the UK’s decision to leave the European Union in 2016, by 52 to 48 per cent.

Keir StarmerThe government is divided on this issue due to free voting for MPs. Sir Keir has chosen not to reveal how he will vote. Speaking on Thursday he said: “Obviously the government is neutral on this issue and this is a truly free vote for all members of parliament and I don’t want to put pressure on them.

“It is clear that I have a great interest and experience in this field, as I have examined each and every case investigated over five years.”

But health minister Wes Streeting has been vocal in his opposition, as has justice minister Shabana Mahmood.

Ms Mahmood and Mr Streeting, as well as Education Minister Bridget Phillipson and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, have also said they will reject the legislation.

Culture minister Lisa Nandy, work and pensions minister Liz Kendall, Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn, transport minister Louise Haigh and energy minister Ed Miliband have said they will support the legislation.

The bill, which covers England and Wales, states that only terminally ill adults with less than six months to live and a definite desire to die will be able to benefit from this law.

Civil servants and ministers will begin work on the assisted dying bill if it passes its first parliamentary stage on Friday.

MPs will be able to vote on the bill two more times, including any amendments, in its third and final Commons reading, after which it will go to the House of Lords. If the bill passes the House of Lords it will receive Royal Assent and become law.