THE MP for North Cornwall has explained his thoughts behind the debate for the right for assisted dying in the United Kingdom.

Parliamentarians have been debating the first stage of a private members’ bill by Kim Leadbeater (Labour, Spen Valley) to allow people the right to choose to die if given a terminal diagnosis by doctors.

The bill has to go through several stages to become law, with today’s vote being to decide whether to allow it to go to a ‘committee stage’ for further consideration before returning to the House of Commons for a ‘second reading’. In the event it passes a second reading, it will then go to a ‘report stage’ prior to a final, third reading vote after which it would become law if passed.

In a parliamentary debate, held on Friday, November 29, MPs voted to allow the bill, which has attracted vociferous debate both in support and opposition to it, passage to the next stage with a vote of 330 in favour to 275 against.

Ben Maguire, the MP for North Cornwall voted to allow the bill to pass to the committee stage but will reserve a final decision until later in the bill’s progression.

He said that he still had concerns over potential safeguards to protect vulnerable people to coercion and misdiagnosis and was looking forward to learning more from his constituents and experts before coming to a final decision.

He said: "Today's vote wasn't about voting for the right to assisted dying, but rather to move to the next stage of the bill, which has to go through a number of parliamentary stages before becoming law.

“I still have concerns around coercion, the capacity of doctors and misdiagnosis within six months, but I voted in favour today to allow further debate and scrutiny of the bill.

“At this early stage, I don't want to shut down the discussion but with the passing of the bill, the final vote will likely come in spring after the committee stage, where I can make a final decision on how to vote having had the time to further consider the views of constituents and experts."