Historical turning point in the United Kingdom. Deputies voted between life and death and, by a close margin, decided: assisted death for people with terminal diseases will be legal.
The British Parliament approved on Friday the legalization of assisted death for people with terminal diseases in England and Wales. The historical measure was approved by a narrow margin – 314 votes in favor and 291 against.
The bill, presented by labor deputy Kim Leadbeater, will allow people with terminal diseases and a life expectancy of less than six months to legally choose to end life with health care after the approval of two doctors and a specialized panel, consisting of a psychiatrist, a social worker and a senior jurist.
The legislation will now have to go to the Chamber of Lordes, but a brake will not be expected. Real promulgation is expected by the end of the year, although total implementation may take up to four years.
The debate was attended by terminal patients and their families, both in the galleries of Parliament and in a demonstration in Parliament Square.
O Prime Minister, Keir Strmer, supported The bill during a free vote, as well as several government ministers, despite the divisions in both the executive and the various parties-the vice-minister Angela Rayner, for example, is one of the opponents of the measure.
“We have a system where it is nice to starve, which may take days or weeks, but it is not cool to seek help from a doctor to take a substance approved to end their pain or suffering and recover control in their last days,” Leadbitter argued.
Also the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, warned that the proposal is risky for the most vulnerable, especially taking into account the current failures in the financing of palliative care.
“They want help to live, not to die,” argued labor deputy Vicky Foxcroft.
Former Foreign Minister James Cleverly also opposed the law, alleging a lack of appropriate guarantees and the discontent of various professional orders, such as the Royal College of Psychiatrics, according to.
Other voters have changed their minds. David Burton-Sampson, Labor, Initially against death assisted by religious convictions, it was convinced by reports of voters whose family members died in extreme suffering. Conservative Mark Garnier and Labor Siobhain McDonagh shared exciting stories about the last days of his mothers, both with cancer, and the differences between the care available in the UK and in countries such as Spain, where assisted death is cool.
Some changes to the text of the law have also been approved, including a clause that prevents people who refuse to eat and drink from being classified as terminal patients, and another that requires the government to evaluate the state of palliative care in the country.
