MPs hours away from historic vote on whether to legalise assisted dying

Kim Leadbeater: ‘I think we will look back in 10 years’ time and think, “why didn’t this happen sooner?”’ Photograph: Lucy North/PA

MPs are hours away from deciding whether to legalise assisted dying for those with less than six months to live, in a knife-edge historic vote.

The private member’s bill, brought by the Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, will be debated from 9.30am on Friday in the House of Commons with a vote expected at about 2.30pm.