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Ahead of a major vote on assisted dying, last-minute lobbying is taking place across Parliament. MPs will vote on Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would allow people in England and Wales in certain circumstances the right to choose to end their own life. Both campaigns are running spreadsheets tracking MPs’ positions and who is yet to make up their mind. MPs have been given a free vote, meaning they can decide based on their conscience rather than having to follow a party line.
The one-to-one campaign has seen some parliamentarians working as unofficial whips, pushing undecided MPs to back their cause, even in the final hours before Friday’s 14:30 GMT vote. Ahead of the vote, Leadbeater said she hopes “MPs will show themselves, as they have in the past when major social reforms have come before them, ready to correct injustice and reduce human suffering”. The issue has divided Parliament, generating strong opinions from both sides.
The debate around assisted dying has been unlike any other legislation – in part due to the free vote. Hundreds of MPs have spent the last few weeks sifting through the evidence, emotions, and ethical dilemmas of the bill, with much of the work playing out in town halls and community centres. On the eve of the vote, neither side sounded confident, with both acknowledging there were a lot of MPs who had not publicly said how they will vote.
If passed, Leadbeater’s bill would give people in England and Wales in certain circumstances the right to choose to end their own life. This has created ethical dilemmas for MPs with strong opinions on both sides. MPs are drawing on their personal experiences to arrive at a decision. Several MPs, including Conservative MP Danny Kruger and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, have cited religious motivations for their decision. On Friday, MPs will have five hours to debate the bill, starting at 09.30 GMT
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