The right to die could be made available to Isle of Man residents by 2027 after the landmark Assisted Dying Bill took another major step forward this week.

The House of Keys voted 16 to 8 in favour of The Bill during the third and final reading on Tuesday.

It means that The Bill will now be put in front of the Legislative Council for further scrutiny and consideration.

But the Legislative Council cannot vote The Bill down, only amend and delay it by up to 12 months.

The historic move means that the Bill has now progressed further than any other assisted dying bill ever introduced in the British Isles The Bill, introduced by Dr Allinson, MHK for Ramsey and a GP, proposes that lawful assisted dying should be available as a choice for terminally ill, mentally competent residents, subject to strict safeguards and alongside high-quality end-of-life care. Tuesday’s House of Keys sitting was the last chance for politicians to formally put their views across.

The clauses stage was completed earlier this month, following seven days of debate across three months.

Despite the fact that The Bill passed its final reading, many politicians still feel passionately that assisted dying should not be enshrined in law on the island.

Here’s how the Isle of Man’s 24 MHKs voted on the matter in the House of Keys on Tuesday.

Eight MHKs voted against the Bill. They were:

  • Mr Alfred Cannan 
  • Mr Tim Glover
  • Mr Jason Moorhouse 
  • Ms Claire Christian 
  • Ms Julie Edge
  • Ms Kate Lord-Brennan 
  • Mr Andrew Smith
  • Mr Chris Thomas

16 voted in favour of the bill passing. They were:

  • Mr David Ashford
  • Mrs Clare Barber
  • Mrs Daphne Caine
  • Mr Rob Callister
  • Mrs Ann Corlett
  • Mr Tim Crookall
  • Dr Alex Allinson
  • Dr Michelle Haywood
  • Mr Lawrie Hooper
  • Mr Tim Johnston
  • Mrs Sarah Maltby
  • Ms Joney Faragher
  • Mr Stu Peters
  • Mrs Poole-Wilson
  • Mr Juan Watterson
  • Mr Wannenburgh

Following the passing of this latest hurdle, Dr Alex Allinson said: ‘We have taken another step forward for real change in the Isle of Man to give terminally ill people much-needed choice and protection at the end of life.

‘This is the result of many years of campaigning from local people and I send them my heartfelt thanks today.

‘My colleagues in the House of Keys have examined the evidence, listened to the views of the people of the Isle of Man and recognised that these laws work safely and compassionately in other jurisdictions across the world.

‘I look forward to continuing to work with Members of the Legislative Council to improve the range of choices for people dying in the Isle of Man.’