Vote breakdown offers fascinating insight on party splitspublished at 15:29 Greenwich Mean Time 29 November 2024

15:29 GMT 29 November 2024

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

It is fascinating looking at how the votes break down.

Among Labour MPs, there was about a 60-40 percentage split in favour of assisted dying. While little surprise, note that Keir Starmer was among those in support.

Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, joined him having given no public indication beforehand whatsoever about where she was leaning.

Eight ministers around Starmer’s cabinet table went the other way, though, including his deputy, Angela Rayner, and foreign secretary, David Lammy. As was widely-trailed, the Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood joined them.

In the Conservatives, Rishi Sunak and Oliver Dowden, the former prime minister and deputy prime minister, were in a minority supported assisted dying. Kemi Badenoch, the new Conservative leader, voted against the legislation, but her shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, went the other way.

The Liberal Democrats and Reform were also split.

Ironically, only one of the British parties was united – the Greens, all four of whom voted yes. They are the only political party which treats every vote as a free vote and never has a whip.

Tory MP Danny Kruger, who has been a prominent voice in opposition to the assisted dying bill, says he is "very disappointed" in today's result.

But, he tells the BBC, the good news for him is that many in the House appear to "recognise there are problems" with the bill, and think it can be improved at the committee stage.

He's "hopeful" that the bill can be strengthened there, or that MPs will vote to defeat it at its third reading.

Asked if he will be working constructively with supporters of the bill now it has passed, Kruger says "definitely".

"If this thing passes I want it to be as safe as possible", he says.

In case you missed it, here's the moment the result of the vote was announced.

As a reminder, MPs voted 330 to 275 in support of the assisted dying bill.

Labour MPs overwhelmingly voted in favour of the bill (234 for, 147 against). Conservative MPs largely voted against it (92 against, 23 for) and Liberal Democrats also voted in favour (61 for, 11 against).

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch voted against the bill - but her predecessor, Rishi Sunak, voted for it. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey also voted against it.

A huge moment in British social policypublished at 15:14 Greenwich Mean Time 29 November 2024

15:14 GMT 29 November 2024

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

Whatever happens from now on, that is likely to be one of the most momentous votes this current crop of MPs will be involved in, however long or short their careers last.

Even among those who backed the legislation there is unease at the ways in which the ongoing questions about how the practicalities of this legislation might work could draw attention and energy from other parts of the government’s agenda.

Many, though, think this is a price worth paying for what they see as a moral right which the Commons has now asserted.

And that is worth dwelling on: though there are many caveats and limits, the House of Commons has endorsed a moral principle about the right to choice for the terminally ill. That is a huge moment in British social policy.

DUP MP Carla Lockhart, who spoke and voted against the bill, tells BBC 5 Live that "today is a very disappointing day".

"There’s been a monumental change to how we value life right across the United Kingdom. However we are not broken as people who are opposed to it - we will continue to fight this bill at every stage," she says.

Labour MP Rachel Maskell, who also campaigned and voted against the bill, claims "many people today voted for the legislation because they want a bigger conversation at committee stage".

She tells the BBC she is concerned about the "impact this is going to have on people with less means" and the risks of coercion if the bill becomes law.

Chair of the Health Select Committee, Liberal Democrat Layla Moran, says she voted in support of the bill and stressed that doing allows the debate and scrutiny to continue.

"I'm pleased it passed," she tells the BBC, but notes a significant number of MPs also voted against.

"Those concerns that people have raised deserve to be taken extremely seriously and now is the time that we engage in good faith and we continue to have those very respectful discussions," Moran says.

She adds its a "really proud day for Parliament".

More now from Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who has said she is "overwhelmed" by today's vote.

Leadbeater says the debate today was “respectful and compassionate”, and that all the issues that were raised must be championed, including palliative care, the rights of people with disabilities, and the NHS.

She says that she wants to hear from everyone moving forward, and if there are amendments that need to be made, she is ready to have the conversation.

The MP adds that there will be a robust bill committee in place to scrutinise the bill and "make it the best it possibly can be".

People have been camped out in Westminster all day ahead of today's vote on the assisted dying bill - both those in favour, and those against it.

As the result was announced inside parliament, supporters outside can be seen celebrating - with many hugging and crying after the results are announced.

Months of parliamentary scrutiny and approval lie aheadpublished at 14:53 Greenwich Mean Time 29 November 2024

14:53 GMT 29 November 2024

Rob Watson
Political correspondent

This is one of those massive moments in social policy, with MPs giving provisional approval to a law that essentially allows the state to assist its citizens to die - albeit in very restricted circumstances.

Critics fear it will change society’s attitude to life and death and could pressure some sick people to end their lives to avoid being a burden.

Although months more of parliamentary scrutiny and approval lie ahead and while no-one is expecting the first cases for at least two years, England and Wales look set to join the small number of places around the world where assisted dying is permitted.

Kim Leadbeater brought the private members' bill and says she feels "a bit overwhelmed".

She says it has shown Parliament in its best light and says the process going forward will be "very thorough".

Prime Minister Keir Starmer voted in favour of the bill today, according to parliamentary voting data.

Labour MPs were not whipped for this vote, meaning they were free to decide whether they wanted to support or reject the motion.

The PM previously said he supported a change in the law, and backed it during the last vote on the issue in 2015.

Labour's Andrew Slaughter - MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick - says it's a "significant result" and it shows MPs "thought about it very carefully".

But he adds that today's vote is just the first of many stages the bill will have to go through and says he hopes for a "constructive debate".

Slaughter says that the proposal now needs to be gone through "line by line" and MPs need to "sit down and make it a better bill".

MPs have voted 330 to 275 in support of the assisted dying bill.

As a reminder, that does not mean the bill has become law, but it allows it to continue for further parliamentary scrutiny with the backing of the elected chamber.

Chris Mason
Political editor

Hello from the press gallery.

MPs are chatting away having voted.

The prime minister has just joined the Reform leader Nigel Farage and the former Conservative cabinet minister David Davis in conversation on the opposition benches.

Sir Keir Starmer has now returned to his usual seat.

As we mentioned a bit earlier, today’s vote on the assisted dying bill will be different than most laws brought forward in the House of Commons. MPs have been instructed that it is a free vote, so they’ll be making their own decision on who to vote for, rather than having to follow party lines.

The issue has split Parliament, and the outcome of the vote is unknown, as the majority of MPs have not revealed how they will vote. Some, however, have come out before today’s historic vote to signal their support or opposition:

• Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, in the aye camp, has said the bill is about "the right to choose"
• Conservative MP Kit Malthouse, who is a co-sponsor of the proposed law, has told the BBC that the status quo is a "horror show" - he supports the measure
• Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said he plans to vote against the bill, fearing it could make people "less free"
• Labour MP Catherine Fookes says she’ll support the proposed law, a decision she arrived at after watching her father in his final months
• Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has told the BBC he would vote "yes", describing the current law as "cruel”
• Rebecca Paul, a Conservative MP for Reigate, says she’ll vote "no", telling the BBC the healthcare system is too stretched to ensure protection for vulnerable people
• While Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who doesn’t support the bill, has said he’s concerned there’d be a risk that ill people end up feeling "guilt-tripped" into ending their own lives

The debate has now concluded and MPs are being asked to vote on the bill.

This should take around 15 minutes, and the result will be read out in the Commons immediately afterwards - that's the moment when we find out if MPs support the bill or not.

As a reminder, a vote to support the bill does not mean that it will definitely become law, it just allows it to progress for more parliamentary scrutiny - but, significantly, with the backing of the House.

Peter Barnes
BBC political analyst

MPs are continuing to debate the assisted dying bill in the Commons, but the vote is expected to happen sometime around 14:30 GMT.

The vote on the bill itself will be very similar to any other vote in the Commons.

There will be two tellers for the Ayes and two for the Noes.

MPs will go through the lobbies and the number of votes for each side will be read out.

Sometime later, hopefully just a few minutes, but it’s a bit unpredictable, the voting lists should be published on the Parliament website, so we can see how each MP voted.

Image source, UK Parliament

Liberal Democrat Christine Jardine warns that denying the bill the chance to progress will end the opportunity for a more extensive debate about the issue.

"The country, and the families who are suffering, they will be denied the light that they want to see thrown on this issue, the voice that they want their loved ones or perhaps themselves to have," she says.

"I can't help about those things that they have been denied by the cruellest of fates, and I would say surely, surely, we cannot deny them choice at the end of life," Jardine adds.

Eleanor Shearwood
BBC Newsbeat

Maddie Cowey has a rare type of incurable sarcoma.

“I don’t understand why, when a human being is suffering and dying, we have to try and drug them up and let them suffer,” she tells BBC Newsbeat.

Maddie, 27, makes the comparison to taking a dying pet to the vets.

“The vet will say it would be cruel to keep them alive. The kindest thing to do is to put your pet down.”

“A lot of us fear the suffering aspect of it and not having control over our death,” she says.

“Being able to have that choice and control and dignity at the end would just give so much comfort and make the whole journey a lot easier.

“I think it’s the most compassionate thing we can do for someone.”

Image source, Maddie Cowey / Handout

Image source, UK Parliament

Conservative MP Neil Shastri-Hurst, who has worked as both a surgeon and a medical barrister, says he has "failed" patients, by not being able to give them "the death they deserve".

This, he adds, was despite the best efforts of the palliative care system.

The MP says this vote is not a "binary choice" between palliative care and assisted dying - it's about "having autonomy" over your body at the end of your life.

He says he "understands concerns" that others have, but says now is "not the point to cancel the debate" and instead to engage with it at the committee stage.