Historic day for Britain as assisted dying bill passes landmark vote

On a historic day for Britain, MPs listened to the people and backed assisted dying - giving hope to all those who want choice at the end of life. The Commons voted 314 to 291 in favour of allowing a landmark bill to proceed to the House of Lords in a major victory for campaigners, Kim Leadbeater, Dame Esther Rantzen and the Daily Express.

Veteran broadcaster Dame Esther, who has fought tirelessly on behalf of all terminally ill people, thanked our readers and those who shared personal stories. She said: "Your courage and compassion, reliving painful memories from your own lives and battling to protect others from experiencing the same agony, have helped bring about this hugely important change in the law. Congratulations and well done. Your brave voices have been heard at last."

Dame Esther, 84, knows any change in the law will not come in time for her as she battles stage four lung cancer.

But she said a legal option of assisted dying "will make a huge positive difference, protecting millions of terminally ill patients and their families from the agony and loss of dignity created by a bad death. Thank you, Parliament."

The Childline founder's daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, watched the vote in the public gallery before joining campaigners in Parliament Square.

Describing a phone call with her mum moments after the vote, she said Dame Esther had gasped and uttered one word: "Wow."

Rebecca said: "If there were three letters that describe this feeling, it's 'wow'. Then if there's two words, it's 'thank you'."

"Everyone in Parliament today was saying this is the most important vote they will be part of in their political career, which is extraordinary.

"This has been going on since the 1930s, so to have a result in my lifetime and to be part of it is just amazing."

Terminally ill single mum Sophie Blake, who issued a final plea to MPs on the front page of Friday's Daily Express, said she was "completely overwhelmed" after the vote.

She added: "I've lived for three years fearing how I could die. Now, to hope now that I'll have that choice, that my daughter will never be left traumatised by seeing me suffer, that I'll be able to take control at the end - that's everything to me. It just gives me so much peace and comfort."

She admitted that the campaign and "talking about my death all the time" had been exhausting, and thanked MPs for "listening to our voices".

Sophie said: "I have that peace and comfort now of knowing that I could have that choice at the end, for myself and all the terminally ill people out there. That's what it's about, isn't it? Choice."

The vote came at the end of an emotional week for the bill's sponsor, Labour MP Ms Leadbeater, who marked the ninth anniversary of her sister Jo Cox's death on Monday.

She said: "Thank goodness we got the result that so many people need, but I also feel that it was done really respectfully and the atmosphere in the chamber was very civilised."

The Spen Valley MP paid tribute to the Express Give Us Our Last Rights crusade, which has told the stories of those fighting for a more compassionate law for more than three years.

"The Daily Express and its readership have been absolutely outstanding through this campaign," Ms Leadbeater said.

"What they've done, they have put the voices of terminally ill people at the heart of this debate, and I have tried to follow their lead in doing something exactly the same.

"Because it's their voices that matter and the stories that you've covered - of people who have either had horrible experiences of losing loved ones and really really difficult circumstances, interviewing people who have terminal illnesses themselves - that has to be commended.

"We haven't seen responsible journalism the whole way through this process, but I think what you've done has been absolutely excellent so thank you."

The vote followed an emotional five-hour debate about the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Introducing the third reading, Ms Leadbeater, told the Commons assisted dying was "not a choice between living and dying - it is a choice for terminally ill people about how they die".

She added that failure to change the law would mean "many more years of heartbreaking stories from terminally ill people and their families, of pain and trauma, suicide attempts, PTSD, lonely trips to Switzerland, police investigations and everything else we have all heard over recent months".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among those who voted in favour of the bill, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch cast her vote in the "no" lobby.

The result was greeted in the Commons by complete silence, as MPs showed their respect for the seriousness of the matter.

Leading opposition MP Danny Kruger later said he hoped the Lord would introduce amendments to make the bill safer or reject it altogether.

He added: "Less than half the whole House of Commons has voted for it, so support is ebbing away very fast."

Hundreds of campaigners on both sides of the debate gathered in Parliament Square on Friday, including celebrity supporters Prue Leith and Jonathan Dimbleby.

Jonathan, 80, also praised the Express for campaigning "with great clarity and great compassion".

Speaking ahead of the vote, he said: "I think it has played an important part, obviously, with Esther and others, in bringing about a situation where I'm very hopeful that this bill will pass. Quite an important achievement if that's the case."

The bill will now proceed to the House of Lords, where peers will have the opportunity to scrutinise it and make amendments. If changes are made, it will then return to the Commons for further approvals.

Although the journey is not over, supporters are hopeful that the Lords will respect the will of the Commons, and that the Government will grant more time for debates if necessary.

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, said the vote was "a landmark moment for choice, compassion and dignity at the end of life".

She added: "MPs have listened to dying people, to bereaved families and to the public, and have voted decisively for the reform that our country needs and deserves.

"This vote will go down in history as the moment Parliament finally caught up with the public. The momentum behind change is now unstoppable; a credit to this people-powered movement for choice."