MOSCOW (Sputnik) – British parliamentarians on Friday rejected a bill showing broad popular support that would allow doctors to assist terminally ill people to end their own lives, in the first parliamentary vote on assisted death in 20 years.
A total of 330 members of parliament voted against the Assisted Dying Bill, with 118 in favor.
Debates were broadcast live on the UK Parliament website.
Under the proposal, a terminally ill person would be able to request assistance with ending their own life if diagnosed by a doctor as having less than six months left to live. A high court would need to confirm the patient’s declaration had been signed on an informed and voluntary basis.
Rob Marris, member of the Labour Party who introduced the bill, has stated that it is about ensuring death with dignity and limiting physical pain, rather than conducting euthanasia.
A poll, conducted by the Populus Poll in March, showed that 82 percent of the British public support the proposals.
