London CNN —British members of parliament have voted to legalize assisted dying, approving a contentious proposal that would make the United Kingdom one of a small handful of nations to allow terminally ill people to end their lives.
The bill must still clear the House of Lords and parliamentary committees, but Friday’s vote marked the most important hurdle.
Canada, New Zealand, Spain and most of Australia allow assisted dying in some form, as do several US states including Oregon, Washington and California.
MPs were given a free vote on the issue, meaning they can support either side according to their conscience, with no political ramifications.
Polling indicates that a comfortable majority of the public supports assisted dying.
Persons:
Esther Rantzen, ” Rantzen, ”, ” Rachael Maskell, Rantzen, Jordan Pettitt, Tristan Osborne, Maskell, “, we’ve
Organizations:
London CNN, BBC, Labour, CNN, Health Service
Locations:
United Kingdom, Britain, Canada , New Zealand, Spain, Australia, Oregon, Washington, California, Westminster, Switzerland, Netherlands, Canada, England, Wales