Assisted dying: How Doncaster MPs Ed Miliband, John Healey, Lee Pitcher and Sally Jameson voted on Bill
The House of Commons voted to legalise assisted dying today by just 23 votes, with all four of Doncaster’s MPs having their say.
Kim Leadbeater MP’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has been the subject of much public scrutiny and debate.
Such was the importance of open discourse on the subject, no political party opted to ‘whip’ its MPs one way or the other – allowing a ‘free vote’.
The Bill passed with 314 for to 291 against and will now progress to the House of Lords on its way to becoming law.
It is parliamentary procedure that the House of Lords do not prevent any bill passed by the Commons, the democratically elected chamber, from becoming law.
All four of Doncaster’s Labour MPs voted in the House of Commons today. Three of them voted for the Bill, including:
- Ed Miliband MP, Doncaster North
- John Healey MP, Rawmarsh and Conisbrough
- Lee Pitcher, Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme
Sally Jameson MP, who represents Doncaster Central, was the only one of the city’s four MPs to vote against the Bill.
She said in a statement after the vote: “I have no moral objections to the principle of assisted dying, but I do believe it should be a genuinely free choice for those who access it.
“I remain uncertain that the Bill contains sufficiently robust safeguards to ensure this, and I would like to see pressures on our NHS and judicial systems alleviated, as well as access to high quality palliative care, before assisted dying becomes a part of our society.”
Today’s Commons vote was the third reading of the Bill, meaning it was the last opportunity for MPs to pass or reject it.
It was a private member’s bill introduced by Kim Leadbeater MP, which proposed allowing terminally ill adults to end their lives if they met a number of requirements, including that they:
- are over 18, live in England or Wales, and have been registered with a GP for at least 12 months
- have the mental capacity to make the choice and be deemed to have expressed a clear, settled and informed wish, free from coercion or pressure
- be expected to die within six months
- make two separate declarations, witnessed and signed, about their wish to die
- satisfy two independent doctors that they are eligible – with at least seven days between each assessment
Lee Pitcher MP, who voted to pass the Bill, said: “As I said when I voted for the Bill at its second reading, this is not a decision I have taken lightly.
“At third reading, I have chosen to vote in favour of the Bill. I did so because I believe that those suffering from terminal illnesses deserve the right to choose a dignified end to their life – free from prolonged pain, loss of autonomy, and the distress of unbearable suffering.
“I respect the fact that others hold different views… This is a momentous step, and I understand the seriousness of the decision. Ultimately, I believe we should trust people to make their own decisions about how their lives should end, when they are suffering and the end is near.”
At the time of writing, Miliband and Healey have not issued statements on the vote. Before the vote at second reading, No.10 requested ministers do not make public statements on the Bill – so not to give an illusion of one opinion being the government’s position.