Striking 13

It passed in silence.

Three hundred and thirty votes in favour. Two hundred and seventy five votes against. And then, for what seemed like minutes, the enormity of what had taken place began to sink in. The Speaker looked up. “The Ayes have it,” he said. There was none of the cheering or the mockery which you usually see in parliament. There was none of the tribal abuse, none of the laughter and backslapping. MPs had taken the first step towards legalising assisted dying. It would be one of the most important and morally consequential decisions they would ever make.

Somewhere among them was Keir Starmer, who was spotted walking quietly into the Aye lobby. Everything that is happening here is happening because of him.