In a significant moment outside the UK Parliament today, emotions ran high as both supporters and opponents of the controversial assisted dying legislation gathered for a pivotal vote. The streets of Westminster were alive with fervent demonstrations, reflecting the deep divides and passionate advocacy surrounding the Bill.

Among the throng of supporters was Anil Douglas, a 35-year-old whose personal history lent a poignant voice to the debate. Anil’s father, Ian, tragically ended his life after enduring the relentless progression of multiple sclerosis. In the wake of the Bill’s passage, Anil expressed a profound sense of relief, underscoring the importance of offering individuals the dignity of choice in the face of debilitating illness.

Similarly, Joshua Cook, a 33-year-old from Huddersfield living with Huntington’s disease—an incurable and degenerative condition—voiced his own relief at the legislative victory. Joshua highlighted the critical need for compassionate options available to those suffering from such devastating diseases, framing the Bill as a beacon of hope for those in similar situations.

I’m incredibly relieved. I’m over the moon. MPs have voted for a safer, kinder, more compassionate future for dying people. I think it’s wonderful.

Meanwhile Joshua Cook, 33, from Huddersfield, who has Huntington’s disease – an incurable neurodegenerative disease, said it was a ‘relief’.

It is a weight off my mind, as a terminally ill person, and you can just look around here, at people who are truly affected by this.

It’s a relief it’s history, finally we are getting towards having a society that shows love and compassion above the need to just keep people alive.