Milton Keynes’ three MPs voted in favour of the government’s assisted dying bill, which passed its third reading in the House of Commons on Friday (20/06).

The third reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) bill was the final opportunity for the Commons to vote on the assisted dying bill, which was first unveiled last year and had been subject to amendments.

313 MPs voted in favour of the bill, with 291 voting against. Following the vote, the bill will now be passed for the House of Lords to provide their own scrutiny of the legislation.

Under the bill, terminally ill adults with six months or less to live would receive the right to die once the request has been signed off by two doctors and a High Court judge.

The law was a private member’s bill proposed by Labour backbench MP Kim Leadbeater, with expectations that the bill could become law within the next four years after passing its third reading.

All 3 Milton Keynes area MPs voted for the legislation. MK North MP Chris Curtis, MK Central MP Emily Darlington, and Buckingham & Bletchley MP Callum Anderson were all listed as voting in favour of the bill at this reading, as all 3 had done at the second reading when it was held back in November.

Milton Keynes North MP Curtis said on social media that he had thanks for stories from residents who contacted him about the issue but said after monitoring the bill, he felt assured he could vote in its favour.

He said, “I would like to sincerely thank the hundreds of residents in Milton Keynes North who contacted me about this issue, and who took the time to share their personal stories and depth of feeling with me respectfully and thoughtfully.

“After great and careful consideration, I voted in favour of the Bill today. It is my belief that there should be a safe and dignified option available for terminally ill people. I have carefully monitored the Bill’s safeguards throughout this process, and will continue to do so now that it has entered the House of Lords.

“I assure you that at the same time, I remain committed to improving access to high-quality palliative care and will continue to push for greater funding and support for our valued local hospice, Willen Hospice.”

MK Central MP Darlington said, “Unfortunately I was not called to speak in the chamber as there were so many MPs wishing to contribute to the debate, so I shared a video on my social media explaining why I voted for the bill and sharing the speech I would’ve made.

“I want to thank everyone who took time to write to me about the Assisted Dying Bill, especially for the heartfelt letters received both in support of and against that I received.”

Buckingham and Bletchley MP Anderson added, “I voted in favour of the Bill, and am pleased that it will now progress to the House of Lords. I see it as an affirmation of compassion, autonomy, and dignity in the face of suffering.

“I know that this is an incredibly emotive issue, and one of the most difficult votes I will ever have to make. I’d like to assure every constituent that I took this decision extremely seriously.”