MPs overwhelmingly reject plans to legalise assisted dying

The chamber was unusually full for a Friday lunchtime (BBC)

pMPs have overwhelmingly rejected plans to change the law to give people with terminal illnesses a href=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/assisted-dying-hearing-arguments-for-and-against-a-bill-thats-divided-britain-10495745.htmlthe right to end their lives/a./p pThe House of Commons rejected the backbench-proposed Assisted Dying Bill by 330 votes to 118, a majority of 212./ppThe political parties gave their MPs a free vote on the issue and did not direct them to vote in a certain way./ppThough rejected, the occasion marks the first time since 1997 that the House of Commons has voted on the right to die./pp Parliament was not split on partisan lines during the debate, with the chamber’s green benches unusually full for a Friday afternoon./ppUnder the rejected proposals people given fewer than six months to live by a doctor could be prescribed a dose of lethal drugs, which they would have to administer themselves./ppA high court judge and two doctors would have to approve each case./ppPeople can currently travel to Switzerland to die, where the practice is legal./ppLabour MP Rob Marris proposed the Private Members Bill./pp img alt=hello.jpg src=http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article10496932.ece/BINARY/hello.jpg width=w460/ span class=caption Rob Marris, the MP who proposed the bill /span “I and many other people would find it comforting to know that the choice is available - to have the option of choosing a dignified and peaceful death at a time and place and in a manner of my own choosing, at my own hand,” he said./pp“I think theres been a trend in our society, which I support, in many cases that if the exercise of a choice does not harm others in a free society, we should allow that choice.”/ppOther MPs were steadfast in their opposition to the plans, however./ppTory Fiona Bruce said: “We will have crossed the rubicon from killing people being illegal to killing people being legal.”/ppDemonstrators gathered outside the Palace of Westminster during the debate both in support and opposition to the proposals.  /p