MPs have voted to approve a historic bill that would legalise assisted dying in England and Wales.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was approved by 314 votes to 291 at its third reading in the House of Commons – a majority of 23.

Politics Live: MPs back legalising assisted dying in historic Commons vote

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who proposed the legislation, was seen crying in the chamber as it went through.

Campaign group Dignity in Dying hailed the result as “a landmark moment for choice, compassion and dignity at the end of life”.

“MPs have listened to dying people, to bereaved families and to the public, and have voted decisively for the reform that our country needs and deserves,” said Sarah Wootton, its chief executive.

“This vote will go down in history as the moment parliament finally caught up with the public”

The bill will now go to the House of Lords, where it will face further scrutiny before becoming law.

Due to the four-year implementation period, it could be 2029 – potentially coinciding with the end of this government’s parliament – before assisted dying is actually offered.

The bill would allow terminally ill adults with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist.

MPs have deliberated the proposals for months, with a vote in November passing with a bigger majority of 55.

Since then it has undergone some significant changes, the most controversial being the replacement of a High Court Judge’s approval with the expert panel.

Ms Leadbeater has always insisted her legislation would have the most robust safeguards of any assisted dying laws in the world.

Opening the debate on Friday she said that opposing the bill “is not a neutral act. It is a vote for the status quo”.

She warned that if her plan was rejected, MPs would be asked to vote on it again in 10 years time and “that fills me with despair”.

The assisted dying debate was last heard in the Commons in 2015, when it was defeated by 330 votes to 118.

There have been calls for a change in the law for decades, with a campaign by Broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen giving the issue renewed attention in recent years.

Supporters have described the current law as not being fit for purpose, with desperate terminally ill people feeling the need to end their lives in secret or go abroad alone, for fear loved ones will be prosecuted for helping them.

Ahead of the vote, an hours-long emotionally charged debate heard stories from MPs in supportive of the legislation because of the experiences of their friends and family.

Maureen Burke, the Labour MP for Glasgow North East, spoke about how her terminally ill brother David was in so much pain from advanced pancreatic cancer that one of the last things he told her was that “if there was a pill that he could take to end his life, he would very much like to take that”.

She said she was “doing right by her brother” in voting for it.

MPs were given a free vote, meaning they could vote with their conscience and not along party lines.

The division list shows Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer voted in favour of the bill, but Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch voted against.

Bill ‘poorly drafted’

Opponents of the bill have raised both practical and ethical concerns, including that people could be coerced into seeking an assisted death and the bill has been rushed through.

Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott said she was not opposed to the principle of assisted dying but called the legislation “poorly drafted”.

“This may be the most fateful bill that we discuss this parliament. It is literally a matter of life or death,” she said.

“The people talking about panels presumably have not had much to do with them. I would not put my life or anyone dear to me in the hands of a panel.”

Former foreign secretary James Clevery echoed those concerns, saying he is “struck by the number of professional bodies which are neutral on the topic of assisted dying in general, but all are opposed to the provisions of this bill”.

Recently The Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Royal College of Pathologists and the Royal College of Physicians have raised concerns about the bill, including that there is a shortage of staff to take part in assisted dying panels.

But public support for a change in the law remains high, according to a YouGov poll published on the eve of the vote.

The survey of 2,003 adults in Great Britain, suggested 73% of those asked last month were supportive of the bill, while the proportion of people who feel assisted dying should be legal in principle stood at 75%.

Sir Keir Starmer has condemned pro-Palestinian activists who broke into a RAF base in Oxfordshire as “disgraceful”.

Palestine Action targeted RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military aircraft in what the Ministry of Defence (MoD) branded an act of “vandalism”.

The pro-Palestinian group posted on X to say it had broken into the site – the largest RAF station with approximately 5,800 service personnel, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors.

In a video shared online, a person can be seen approaching an aircraft on a scooter as music is played. Red paint can be seen on the ground.

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In a post on X, the prime minister branded the breach an “act of vandalism” and “disgraceful”.

“Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us,” he added.

The MoD also condemned the group’s actions, adding: “We are working closely with the police who are investigating.”

In a statement, Palestine Action – which focuses its campaigns on multinational arms dealers and has previously targeted corporate banks – said it had damaged two military planes at the RAF base, where flights depart on a daily basis for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

The UK has two military bases on the island of Cyprus, a legacy of its former status as a British colony.

When it gained independence from Britain in 1960, it was agreed that Britain would maintain two “sovereign base areas” at Akrotiri in the south west and Dhekelia in the south east.

Aircraft based at Akrotiri include RAF Typhoons, which were used last year in strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, as well as Puma helicopters.

The group said two activists “broke into the largest air force base in Britain and used electric scooters to swiftly manoeuvre towards the planes”.

They said repurposed fire extinguishers were used to spray red paint into the turbine engines of two Airbus Voyagers, while further damage was made using crowbars.

“Red paint, symbolising Palestinian bloodshed was also sprayed across the runway and a Palestine flag was left on the scene,” the statement added.

“Both activists managed to evade security and arrest.”

Work is under way to assess whether any damage has been caused, it is understood.

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No operations or planned movements are thought to have been affected.

A senior RAF source told Sky News: “The claims made by the group who broke into RAF Brize Norton show a complete lack of understanding of how the RAF operates and what these aircraft do.

“The UK is not supporting Israeli operations and these aircraft have not been used in support of Israeli forces in any shape or form.”

Ben Obese-Jecty, a Liberal Democrat MP and former army officer, said the breach at Brize Norton was “absolutely staggering”.

“Given the current heightened global tensions, the increase in activity and the recent exploitation of the vulnerability of Russian airbases by Ukraine, it is incredible that our busiest RAF base could be compromised,” he said.