Assisted dying: how NI MPs voted as historic Bill passes first hurdle

Nine of Northern Ireland's 11 sitting MPs voted today (Friday) against the Assisted Dying Bill which cleared its first hurdle in Parliament.

A majority of MPs, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, supported a Bill that would allow terminally ill adults with a life expectancy of less than six months to end their lives.

There were at-times emotional scenes in the Commons as politicians on both sides of the debate made impassioned arguments for and against what has been described as a "major social reform".

Encouraging or assisting suicide is currently against the law in England and Wales, with a maximum jail sentence of 14 years.

MPs voted 330 to 275, majority 55, to approve Kim Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at second reading.

With regards to Northern Ireland the DUP’s five MPs , party leader Gavin Robinson, Carla Lockhart, Gregory Campbell, Jim Shannon and Sammy Wilson voted against.

And they were joined by UUP MP and former Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann; Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood; TUV MP, Jim Allister and Independent Unionist MP Alex Easton.

SDLP leader Claire Hanna abstained while former leader Colum Eastwood voted in favour.

Sinn Fein have seven MPs but none voted due to the party’s Westminster abstention policy.

Meanwhile, opposition and pro-change campaigners had gathered outside Parliament from early on Friday.