UK lawmakers vote assisted dying bill through to next phase

A bill looking to legalize assisted dying for some terminally ill people who want to make use of it passed through Britain's lower house of parliament after lawmakers' first chance to debate it on Friday. 

The narrow vote, where MPs had been told they could vote on their conscience rather than being urged to follow a party line as usual, passed by 330-275 in the House of Commons. 

This followed a sometimes impassioned debate lasting several hours, on an issue that had divided opinion and raised questions about the standards of palliative care.

Friday's vote was the so-called "second reading," where MPs have their first chance to debate the proposal. 

It will now move on towards a third and final reading in the House of Commons, and will also eventually need to clear the House of Lords if approved. The entire process could take several months or potentially longer still and could involve alterations or amendments to the plan.

The bill would apply for England and Wales but not Scotland and Northern Ireland, though a similar bill is in the process of navigating the Scottish parliament.

More to follow... 

msh/wd (AFP, Reuters)