British lawmakers give initial approval to bill to allow terminally ill adults to end their lives

Associated Press London: British lawmakers gave initial approval on Friday to a bill to help terminally ill adults end their lives in England and Wales. After an impassioned and debate, members of Parliament approved the so-called assisted dying bill by a vote of 330 to 275. The vote signals lawmakers' approval in principle for the bill and sends it on to further scrutiny in Parliament. Similar legislation failed to pass that important first test in 2015. The vote came after hours of debate emotional at times that touched on issues of ethics, grief, the law, faith, crime and money. Hundreds of people on both sides of the issue gathered outside Parliament. Speeches from supporters included heartwrenching stories about constituents and family members who suffered in the final months of their lives and dying people who committed suicide in secret because it is currently a crime for anyone to provide assistance.

Those opposed spoke of the danger that vulnerable, elderly and disabled people could be coerced into opting for assisted dying to save money or relieve the burden on family members. Others called for the improvement of palliative care to ease suffering as an alternative. It's the first time the House of Commons has had the opportunity to vote on legalising what some people call “assisted dying” but which others term as “assisted suicide” in nearly a decade and it looks like it will be a close result.

Ahead of the debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, around 180 lawmakers have indicated they will back the proposal, while about 150 have said they won't. The other 300 or so lawmakers have either yet to make up their mind or have not disclosed how they will vote. The debate is impassioned, touching on issues of ethics, grief.