The second commons stage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has gripped Parliament, with an impassioned debate and vote. The Bill passed its first Commons hurdle 330 to 275, a majority of 55.

Brought forward by Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP for Spen Valley, this Bill, should it eventually become law, would give terminally ill people in England and Wales the right to end their life in certain circumstances.

An emotive issue, the Bill has divided MPs, who all had a free vote to act with their consciences today rather than follow party orders.

The result? Westminster has witnessed an unprecedented lobbying effort, impressive even to us as public affairs experts. Spreadsheets reportedly tracked MPs' likely votes, inboxes were overflowing with appeals, and physical brochures have been slipped under doorframes in the effort to influencing the outcome.

Interestingly, some MPs have navigated this high-pressure vote rather differently. None more than Rupert Lowe MP, who conducted a local referendum in his constituency of Great Yarmouth. With 892 votes in favour of the bill, Lowe stated this was where his vote would be cast.

So how will this impact Labour and has this been a helpful distraction?

With Labour’s legislative agenda already packed with key bills such as the Employment Rights Bill and the Great British Energy Bill, this assisted dying debate has undoubtedly drawn attention away from core priorities.

In some senses this is helpful for the government: discussion over assisted dying has drowned out at least some criticism over business taxes in the Budget. It’s enabled ministers getting to grips with government a few weeks where attention has been firmly elsewhere. The Bill will certainly swamp the other news of the day, Louise Haigh’s surprise resignation as Transport Secretary.

On the flip side, sucking oxygen away from the government agenda risks adding fuel to claims Starmer simply hasn’t achieved very much in power. The public see him going on loads of foreign trips, but the late Budget, winter fuel debacle and rows over expenses have claimed more headlines than policy delivery.

It’s also shown us which Cabinet Ministers are most willing to test Starmer’s rules – despite the ban on getting involved, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood both got their elbows out against the Bill. Watch them going forward.

Five months on from the General Election, today’s vote does meet a campaign promise from the Prime Minister to Esther Rantzen – who has terminal cancer – there would be a new vote on assisted dying.

Whether it will change the weather around the Government, only the new year will tell.

(Photo provided by the FT)