The first assisted dying debate in the House of Commons in almost a decade took place on Friday.
MP Kim Leadbeater for Spen Valley opened the debate on her Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the first time the issue has been debated in the Commons since 2015.
The new law is proposing to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales.
This would only affect terminally adults who are expected to die within six months and who have been resident in England and Wales and registered with a GP for at least 12 months.
They must have the mental capacity to make a choice about the end of their life and be deemed to have expressed a clear, settled and informed wish, free from coercion or pressure, to end their life.
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MP Tom Rutland has made public that he is voting in favour of the bill (Image: The Argus) Five hours have been set aside for MPs to air their views on the Bill. Depending on votes the bill may then progress through Parliament.
Every single one of the 650 MPs must choose for themselves with some in Sussex making their views known to the public.
Tom Rutland Labour MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, Chris Ward Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, James MacCleary LibDem MP for Lewes and Sian Berry Green MP for Brighton Pavilion are all voting in favour of the bill.
In a letter Mr Rutland said: “I believe that those who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and deemed to have less than six months to live should be able to request and be provided with assistance to end their own life, subject to safeguards and protections.
“This Bill provides for that.”
In a sign of the level of feeling on the issue, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said more than 160 MPs are bidding to speak on it.
Ms Leadbeater has said it would likely be a further two years from then for an assisted dying service to be in place.
Campaigners both for and against the Bill gathered outside Parliament.
