MP FOR Wellington and Taunton Gideon Amos is the only Somerset MP to vote against legalising assisted dying in England and Wales.

On Friday, June 20, MPs voted to approve plans to legalise assisted dying. The private members bill was backed by 314 MPs and opposed by 291 - a majority of 23 votes.

The bill’s third reading was the last opportunity for MPs to approve or reject it. It will now need to go through the House of Lords before it can become law.

In a statement to the Wellington Weekly News, Gideon Amos MP, has since remarked that he is not opposed, in principle, to terminally ill people being assisted in dying, if that is their choice.

He said: “However, ultimately I have to share the fears of Disability Rights UK, other disabled people’s organisations and the Royal Colleges of Psychiatrists (RCPs) and Pathologists who oppose this Bill.

"This is principally because we first need to ensure all people have the alternative option of good palliative care and support for independent living before death is proposed to them as the solution.”

Mr Amos added: "My priority is to speak out for those who will be at greater risk from this Bill and to do everything I can to try and ensure they are not left with the worst of all worlds.

"I also recognise supporters of the Bill do so from a good place - I have worked to get more support for hospices and end of life care myself and, of course, also want people to reach their end as comfortably as possible.

"Given that no legislation is perfect, we now have to accept this new law will likely mean some people opting for death when they could have mentally and physically recovered to enjoy more months or even years of life.

"Therefore, given also that by a small majority it’s now been decided this risk should be taken, we all need to ensure mistakes will be as few as possible and that disabled people are not unfairly left with an assisted death as the only viable option they can see."

The vote on June 20 was a free vote, meaning MPs were not instructed how to vote by their respective parties.

All 11 MPs representing constituencies in Somerset, North Somerset, and Bath and North East Somerset voted on the bill.

Here is how they voted:

Wera Hobhouse (Bath, Liberal Democrat)- For

Dan Norris (North East Somerset & Hanham, Independent) – For*

Dan Aldridge (Weston-super-Mare, Labour) – For

Sadik Al-Hassan (North Somerset, Labour) – For

Gideon Amos (Taunton and Wellington, Liberal Democrat) – Against

Adam Dance (Yeovil, Liberal Democrat) – For

Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton, Liberal Democrat) – For

Sir Ashley Fox (Bridgwater, Conservative) – For

Rachel Gilmour (Tiverton and Minehead, Liberal Democrat) – For

Tessa Munt (Wells and Mendip Hills, Liberal Democrat) – For

Anna Sabine (Frome and East Somerset, Liberal Democrat) – For

*Dan Norris’ vote was a proxy vote cast by Labour whip Chris Elmore, while the independent MP is banned from the parliamentary estate.