Assisted dying proposal passes first stage in Scotland

The Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, who first proposed the bill, speaks in the parliamentary chamber at Holyrood during Monday’s debate. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA

The Scottish parliament has voted to consider a bill to allow assisted dying for terminally ill people for the first time, after a prolonged debate by MSPs.

Holyrood decided by 70 votes to 56 to back the bill, in a free vote that followed months of pre-legislative scrutiny by a cross-party committee and comes days before MPs at Westminster vote on passing similar legislation for England and Wales.