After an emotional debate, MPs vote for the historic bill

Today’s debate shows the House of Commons at its bestposted at 11:31 Greenwich Mean Time, November 29

Chris Mason
Political editor

Hello from the House of Commons Press Gallery.

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

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

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

It’s not something you can openly get bored with if you can – it’s an essential organizational tool for governments and opposition parties to come together and try to deliver the promised program for government.

But for those who are cynical or tired of the inevitably partisan nature of Westminster, today is the day to take another look at it.

An “inspiring and direct” conversation about life and death, as one parliamentarian put it.

Testimony of the most terrible deaths, told in respectful silence, demanding a change in the law.

The strength of the argument that the state cannot become a “suicide service”, as one parliamentarian described.

On each side of the argument there are advocates of total conviction.

Others were deeply conflicted about what to do.