In Britain, the House of Commons has approved a bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, paving the way for a major social change in society. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, passed by a vote of 314 against 291 in the House of Commons, the lower house of Parliament, cleared its biggest parliamentary hurdle. Members of Parliament were allowed a free vote on the bill, meaning they did not have to follow a party policy. Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed the measure, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch voted against.

The bill will now go to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.
The bill gives mentally competent, terminally ill adults in England and Wales, who have six months or less left to live, the right to choose to end their lives with medical assistance.
Assisted suicide is different from euthanasia, where a healthcare practitioner or other person administers a lethal injection at a patient’s request.