Assisted dying bill passes: How did your MP vote?

MPs from across the political divide react to the result, with some "relieved" the bill had passed while others were "disappointed", as reported by ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana

Words by Politics Producer Elisa Menendez and Producer James Gray

MPs have voted in favour of a bill that would legalise assisted dying for people who are terminally ill in England and Wales.

In a historic step towards backing the right for adults with less than six months to live to choose to end their own lives, a total of 330 MPs voted for the bill and 275 voted against.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was among those to vote in favour, along with the majority of his Cabinet, as well as former PM Rishi Sunak who was one of only 23 Tories to do so.

Fifteen Cabinet members, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper voted for, while eight voted against, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.

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MPs began voting on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, brought forward by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, just after 2pm today as opposition and pro-change campaigners gathered outside Parliament.

It came after an, at times, highly emotional four-and-a-half hour debate in the Commons with MPs from across the political divide making impassioned arguments for and against.

How did your MP vote?

To find out how your MP voted, type their first name or surname (not their full name together) or your constituency in the search bar below to find out.

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It is the first vote and debate of its kind in the House of Commons since 2015, when the last bid to legalise assisted dying was voted down.

The result does not mean the bill will become law yet as this is only the second reading. There are several more stages of scrutiny that the bill will have to go through first in both the House of Commons and House of Lords, meaning any change in the law would not be agreed until next year at the earliest.

Leadbeater predicts that it would likely be a further two years from then for an assisted dying service to be in place - if it passes through all stages.

A number of MPs who voted in favour have told ITV News that they did so today to gain time to keep debating and considering their position on the issue - but they might not necessarily vote in favour at the third reading.

Speaking to ITV News after the result, Leadbeater said she was "exhausted, emotionally drained but what we've seen today is the best of Parliament".

"We've seen a really robust debate, but we've seen a debate which was full of compassion and respect for people with different opinions and don't we don't always get that in Parliament," she said.

MPs moved to tears in emotional debate on controversial assisted dying bill

"So, I'm actually really proud of what's happened today and I'm also clearly very pleased with the result.

"It means that we can start to fix the problems that we have around end of life provision for people and we need to continue the debate around palliative care, around the rights of disabled people, and around a choice that terminally ill people - I strongly believe - should have to have a death of their choosing."

Under Leadbeater's bill, for a person to be eligible, they must be over the age of 18 and have the mental capacity to make the choice, which must be signed off by at least two doctors and a High Court judge.

Assisted dying is currently banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

The last time MPs voted on the issue in 2015, the bill was defeated by 330 votes to 118, but the composition of the Commons has significantly changed since then following this year's general election with more Labour MPs sitting.

A total of 605 out of 650 MPs voted on the bill today. It was a free vote, meaning the government's position on this was officially neutral.

Cabinet members who voted for:

  • Prime Minister Keir Starmer

  • Chancellor Rachel Reeves

  • Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden

  • Home Secretary Yvette Cooper

  • Defence Secretary John Healey

  • Energy Security Secretary Ed Miliband

  • Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall

  • Science and Tech Secretary Peter Kyle

  • New Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander

  • Environment Secretary Steve Reed

  • Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy

  • Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn

  • Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens

  • Commons Leader Lucy Powell

Cabinet members who voted against:

  • Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner

  • Foreign Secretary David Lammy

  • Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood

  • Health Secretary Wes Streeting

  • Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson

  • Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.

There was no vote recorded for Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray.

Cabinet ministers had been asked not to share their voting intentions and views around them so as not to influence other MPs, but several had done so in the run up claiming they were asked directly about their previously stated views.

The prime minister himself had not revealed his views since he took office. But in March, ITV News filmed him telling assisted dying campaigner Esther Rantzen that he wanted a vote on the matter and was personally in favour.

Former prime minister Lord David Cameron said on Wednesday he had changed his mind on the issue and now believed MPs should back it. He was the first former PM to come out in favour of assisted dying after Gordon Brown, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss all said they were opposed to it.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting had said he would vote against it - causing some controversy by sharing his views given he would have to implement this legislation should it pass - as did Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.

Palliative Care Minister Stephen Kinnock, meanwhile, said he was in favour and rejected the concerns put forward by Streeting around the impact on hospice care if assisted dying is legalised.

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