MPs have voted against a Bill to legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales.
286 MPs voted against and 270 in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill – which would have allowed some adults with terminal conditions to end their lives through assisted suicide.
There were cheers in the House of Commons from opponents and deflation from supporters of the Bill which MPs had initially backed last year.
The outcome of this afternoon’s vote was described as “absolutely extraordinary” in a BBC report – as commentators reacted with shock that the House of Commons, which twice previously voted in favour of near identical legislation, rejected it.
“This is the end of this attempt to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. There were some who changed their minds. But they were a minority,” reports the BBC.
“Ultimately opponents defeated this bill because they succeeded in persuading more of their MPs to turn up to Westminster on a day when many are typically in their constituencies,” the national broadcaster said.
Right to Life UK said that it was a “remarkable victory for the most vulnerable in our society.”
“In a victory for hope, compassion and life, MPs have voted against assisted suicide by 286 votes to 270, choosing to protect vulnerable people and stop our country going down a dark path that would have changed society forever.”
The organisation said that the debate had been “settled for a generation.”
“In both Westminster and Holyrood, parliamentary scrutiny and expert testimony have shown that assisted suicide simply cannot be legalised in a way that is safe.”
