Welwyn Hatfield MP Andrew Lewin believes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will usher in a "different future" after voting in favour at the House of Commons.

Mr Lewin was one of 330 ayes in support of the bill, with 275 against. The bill will now proceed to its next Commons stage.

It was the second reading of the bill, which would make assisted dying legal for terminally ill adults who are expected to die within six months, and have the mental capacity, to choose how they end their lives.

Speaking after the vote, the Welwyn Hatfield MP said: "I know there are people with deeply held convictions on both sides of this issue, in our community and across the country.

"I wrote earlier this week for the Welwyn Hatfield Times on why I would support the Bill, based on the conviction that people who are terminally ill should be able to exercise choice at the end of life.

"The debate in the House of Commons only strengthened my conviction that the status quo is not fit for purpose.

"As it stands, terminally ill people can be compelled to face unbearable pain in their final weeks and months - against their express wishes.

"Doctors and nurses do exceptional work in supporting their patients in hospitals and hospices, but there are some conditions where even the best medicine cannot alleviate suffering.

"Assisted dying has been legal for many years in a number of other countries, but I believe the safeguards included in the Bill are arguably the strongest of anywhere in the world.

"I am grateful we are now moving towards a different future, in which people diagnosed with six months or less to live will be given the dignified choice that has been denied to people for so long.

"It will rightly pass to committee stage for further scrutiny and I intend to continue to support its passage through parliament."

Hertsmere MP Sir Oliver Dowden also voted in favour of the bill.