British lawmakers push forward a divisive bill to legalize assisted dying

British lawmakers voted to advance a bill that would allow some terminally ill patients the right to end their lives — an issue that has divided both the parliament and region for years.

In a 330 to 275 vote, the House of Commons on Friday approved the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that would grant the option of assisted dying to those in England and Wales with a terminal diagnosis and a life expectancy of six months or less.

The measure will now be sent to parliamentary committees for further debate and scrutiny before it can return to the House of Commons for another vote. It will likely take months before the bill becomes law.

The government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not publicly supported the legislation, which was introduced by an ordinary lawmaker and so faced far less pre-parliamentary scrutiny than many critics have said was necessary for such a seismic shift in society.

Assisted suicide is currently illegal in Britain and can result in a prison sentence of up to 14 years. It puts family and friends at risk if they choose to accompany their sick loved one abroad for assisted dying or are present during the process.

The issue was brought to the forefront in the U.K. last year by popular British broadcaster Esther Rantzen who, after being diagnosed with lung cancer, said she would visit a Swiss clinic to die if her cancer treatment failed. Rantzen argued that her children should not be prosecuted for accompanying her.

Each year, a few dozen U.K. citizens travel to Switzerland — where assisted suicide has been legal for over 80 years — to end their lives, according to the group Dignity in Dying. The organization said that traveling abroad for assisted dying can be both expensive, as well as physically and emotionally challenging for those already suffering from significant pain and distress.

“Many will be feeling overwhelming relief and gratitude that, today, our country has moved closer than ever before to a safer and more compassionate law,” Dignity in Dying said in a statement after the House of Commons vote.

The bill would impose a stiff prison sentence if a sick person was pressured into choosing assisted dying, but some critics argue that spotting such coercion is not always easy.

“What we’re worried about is those people being inadvertently approved in this process and the safety around that just not being in place,” Akiko Hart, the director of the British human rights and civil liberties advocacy group called Liberty, told NPR earlier this month.

Other opponents of the bill, including Britain’s health secretary Wes Streeting, have argued that poor quality of end-of-life care prevents people from making an informed choice. Streeting has also raised concerns that supporting assisted dying may divert government funding for other health services.

Friday’s vote marked a major shift in attitudes compared to 2015, the last time that an assisted dying bill was presented before the House. Then, the bill was defeated 330 to 118 after four hours of debate.

Medically-supported death is only allowed in a few European countries, including Switzerland, Austria and Belgium. In the U.S., assisted suicide is legal in 10 states and the District of Columbia.

NPR’s Willem Marx contributed reporting