MPs vote in favor of historic bill after emotional debate

Today’s debate shows the House of Commons at its best.Published 11:31 GMT 29 November

11:31 Moscow time November 29

Chris Mason
Political editor

Greetings from the House of Commons Press Gallery.

This is parliament at its expansive, thoughtful and passionate best.

The nature of parliamentary party politics is that most debates are viewed directly through the lens of party politics.

Loyalty, ideology, spectrum of left and right, etc. etc.

This is not something to be outright harassed if you can handle it – it is a necessary organizational tool to enable governments and opposition parties to come together and try to deliver a promised agenda for government.

But for those feeling cynicism or weariness about the inevitably partisan nature of Westminster, today is the day to look again.

“Intuitive and direct” conversation about life and death, as one MP put it.

Testimonies of the most horrific deaths, spoken in respectful silence, demanding a change in the law.

The strength of the argument is that the state should not become a “suicide service”, as one MP described it.

There are proponents of complete conviction on each side of the debate.

And others were deeply conflicted about what to do.