Discussion UK: MPs narrowly back legalising assisted dying in England and Wales by 23 votes

[Jojogu]

Assisted dying bill clears Commons

MPs have voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life), with 314 votes in favour against 291.

The bill will need to pass through the House of Lords next before it becomes law.

Source: BBC News

 

[Alexandra0]

Great, the ice has been broken!

 

[LetMeOut67]

Good but it doesn't go far enough

 

[SVEN]

For the background information of members outwith the UK, this Bill will now pass onwards to our unelected House of Lords, as mentioned above.
The House will examine the Bill, line by line, before either voting on it as it stands or returning the amended Bill with their recommendations.
There will doubtless be various administrative challenges to consider, including the questions of "tourist suicide", medical assesments (various medical societies are against the Bill in its present form), who will pay for the additional costs of the scheme, who will administer the final act and by what means and other nuts & bolts challenges.
So this is not going to put into practise for some 3 or 4 years yet, I don't anticipate.
Meantime the government having in less than 1 year in office passed Abortion up until the point of delivery in certain conditions and Assisted dying is well on its way to becoming one of the most liberalising governments ever in the UK.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I do sincerely hope for those already suffering and eligible that it will pass.

As for me, the prospect of working the next 30 to 40 years, then coming down with something truly awful- if not before, going through the doubtless mountain of paperwork, just to shave 6 months off my life? I don't think I've got the patience...

 

[HarryCobean]

Suicide is officially a good thing in England and Wales. They can't deny it now.

 

[SilentSadness]

It is actually somewhat insane that almost half of the people in the government want to force people who are about to die to live as long as possible. Inhumane, disgusting, abhorrent people. Sickening that they are running anything let alone the government. They should not be deciding how people live. But anyway at the very least this is a helpful step towards banning torture (preventing suicide is torture). I guess that's a cause for celebration!

 

[SVEN]

Suicide is officially a good thing in England and Wales. They can't deny it now.

And in Scotland we have our own Assisted Dying Act which is presently negotiating its passage through the various stages.

 

[bankai]

Terminally ill adults. It's going to be nearly impossible to get yourself classified as one. Politicians love to show that they're making progress. It's all just a facade though.

 

[WatchmeBurn]

Good but it doesn't go far enough

This is the only way it would've been passed. It's a start. Hopefully in 10-15 years it'll be further liberalised.

 

[HarryCobean]

Truthfully, I don't think I would ask a doctor to help me anyway, so it's kind of irrelevant to me except in that it establishes that suicide is indeed, to coin a term, sanctioned.

 

[LetMeOut67]

No doubt they'd love to get rid of people like me (on benefits for years with terrible mental health issues) but they know they'll look terrible if hordes of people apply. And it might become so popular that the workforce numbers are affected.
I've just read a comment on the BBC website - someone saying that this becoming law will encourage suicide generally. I hadn't thought about that. I don't know if it's true.