For or against? How Doncaster's MPs voted on bill to legalise assisted dying

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MPs have voted in favour of allowing assisted dying following an emotional debate in the House of Commons.

MPs voted 330 to 275 in support of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

It does not mean the bill has become law, but it allows it to continue for further parliamentary scrutiny with the backing of the elected chamber.

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Under the proposed law to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, people over 18 living in England and Wales with less than six months to live would be given the right to end their own life.

Clockwise from top left, Ed Miliband, John Healey, Sally Jameson, Lee Pitcher.Clockwise from top left, Ed Miliband, John Healey, Sally Jameson, Lee Pitcher.
Clockwise from top left, Ed Miliband, John Healey, Sally Jameson, Lee Pitcher.

Laws throughout the UK currently prevent people from asking for medical help to die and there are several requirements for a patient to be eligible under the proposals.

The law divided Parliament, with MPs given a free vote, meaning they could make their own decision rather than voting along party lines.

So how did Doncaster’s MPs vote?

Lee Pitcher (Labour, Doncaster East and Isle of Axholme), John Healey (Rawmarsh and Conisbrough) and Ed Miliband (Doncaster North) all voted in favour of assisted dying while Doncaster Central’s Sally Jameson voted against the proposals, the only Doncaster MP to do so.

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In a letter to constituents shared ahead of the vote, Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme MP Lee Pitcher said: “I have personal experience being with family members with terminal illnesses at the end of their lives. Watching them suffer in agony is the most painful and heartbreaking thing anyone can witness.

“I support assisted dying in principle. I support people being able to make that decision for themselves, to have an end to their lives that is more than lingering pain, incapacity, and indignity. I will therefore be voting in favour of the Assisted Dying bill.

"I have made this decision with the full understanding that this is a controversial and difficult choice, and one where there are many sound arguments made on both sides. I completely understand the concerns of those opposed to the bill and I have therefore spent the time needed to talk to a range of people from all sides of the argument in order to come to a full decision.

“We would not be the first country to bring forward assisted dying and we must look carefully at those experiences internationally, learn from what they have done right and take the warning from where things have gone wrong.

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“Assisted dying is not, will not, and can never be an alternative to a high quality, universally accessible palliative care service. No one should be making the choice to end their life because the level of care they are receiving is not good enough. Everyone should have the chance to live at long as they can with the best quality of life possible before ever needing to think about the end.

I understand the concerns people have, and the crucial need for robust safeguards. There must be protection for the vulnerable and there must never be pressure from anyone. The choice must be one made by the individual and with only the individual's welfare and wellbeing considered.

“I will be voting for the bill at its second reading. At this stage we are voting on the principle of the bill, and I agree with the principle which is the intention to relieve unendurable suffering.

“After this stage, should the bill pass, it will go through a series of stages where the detail will be examined, and necessary amendments made before we will vote again on the final form of the bill. At that point I will be looking carefully at the safeguards and processes in place to protect the vulnerable before I cast my final vote.”

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Former Don Valley Conservative MP Nick Fletcher, who has officially announced he will be running in next year’s Doncaster Mayoral election wrote: “Once the stable door swings wide, there's no bolting it shut.

“To my local MPs: if you oppose this, I’ll be your loyal defender against all the critics. But if you vote in favour, your name will be forever linked to every poor decision that follows on this issue—and trust me, there will be plenty!”

And a little tip for the fresh-faced MPs: if you're uncertain, just don’t vote for it!

“I sincerely hope you choose wisely.”

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