MPs have voted to back a landmark bill to change the law on assisted dying in England and Wales in a historic moment in the Commons.

They voted by 314 in favour of the legislation to 291 against - a majority of 23 - as supporters of assisted dying jumped and hugged each other outside Parliament. More than 100 people gathered in Parliament Square, Westminster, erupted into cheers as news of the vote was live streamed over a speaker by campaigners.

Keir Starmer, who has previously spoken in favour of changing the law, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves were among the MPs who voted in favour. But the Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Deputy PM Angela Rayner, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood all voted against.

Back in November, MPs voted by a majority of 55 to support the principle of changing the law, after the first debate on the issue in the Commons for almost a decade. The yes vote means the controversial legislation - spearheaded by the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater - will now pass to the House of Lords where it will be debated by peers.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill aims to give terminally ill people over the age 18 with just six months left to live the option to end their life early. It must be subject to approval by two doctors and an expert panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. Assisted dying is currently banned and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Speaking on Friday, Ms Leadbeater told Sky News: "It feels very surreal to be quite honest. It feels a huge relief because a huge amount of work has gone into getting to this day."

She added: "The important thing is we've got the bill over the line, which means so much to so many people and I pay tribute to the families and terminally ill people that I've met in recent months - this bill is about them, it's not about MPs."

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Asked about the reduced majority, the Labour MP for Spen Valley added: "We knew there would be some movement both ways. There's also people who couldn't be here today for genuine reasons, possibly on both sides. But it's a majority, and it's a convincing majority, and the will of the House will now be respected by the Lords, and the Bill will go through to its next stage."

Sunderland Central MP Lewis Atkinson was one of 14 MPs responsible for detailed scrutiny of the assisted dying bill.

He told the Mirror: "I feel pleased that we have taken an historic step to end the cruel and untenable status quo, but there's no jubilation or victoriousness. We need to get this through the House of Lords and they will do their work to scrutinise it properly, but then we also need to implement it really carefully."

Broadcasters Dame Prue Leith and Jonathan Dimbleby were among the high-profile supporters of the legislation to gather outside Parliament on Friday. Others included Rebecca Wilcox, the daughter of terminally ill broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen, was in the House of Commons when the result came through and spoke to her mother shortly after.

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Asked what her mum said, Ms Wilcox told The Mirror: "She was saying how brilliantly the debate was conducted, how beautiful the legislation has been brought about, that the campaigners have been so great and courageous and that Kim has led them with such authority and dignity.

"We're so grateful to everyone that took part, particularly those that voted for us, because there were quite a lot of negative against speeches. Mum was watching at home on the telly, which I think is a bit easier because you can shout and scream.

"I know she's massively emotional about this. This is something she really cares passionately about even though it has nothing to do with her death."

Paying tribute to Kim Leadbeater, she added: "Kim has handled this with such grace and integrity and the way in which people have spoken today in the main has been with respect and authenticity at its heart and we couldn't be happier. A few of us were in the public gallery. We were all holding hands like we were on a rollercoaster. It felt like we were on a rollercoaster! It felt like the longest pause.

"When I heard a three for the ayes have it I was quite positive and it was just extraordinary. I turned around and gave Kim's mum a massive hug. She's incredible. It was Jo Cox's birthday last Sunday and it's my mum's birthday coming. It's not about a birthday gift, but how wonderful is it that it's this time it's come through."

Dame Esther also told ITV: “It’s really important it becomes law so dying people in the future will have confidence knowing they can ask for a quick pain free death. It won’t come in my lifetime, I won’t live long enough but I am so relieved it will help future generations to look forward to a good death. I am astonished I have lived to see the moment.

"Months ago before the PM was elected he said that he would do his best to make sure I witnessed debate. I didn’t think it was possible, it’s happened, I’m astonished."

But the Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft, who quit the government this week over cuts to disability benefits, had urged MPs with doubts to reject the legislation during the debate.

Ms Foxcroft said: "I don't claim that every disabled person opposes assisted dying, but I do claim that the vast majority of disabled people and their organisations oppose it. They need the health and social care system fixing first. They want us as parliamentarians to assist them to live, not to die."

She added: "Disabled people's voices matter in this debate, and yet, as I've watched the Bill progress, the absence of disabled people's voices has been astonishing. They have wanted to engage. Indeed, they have been crying out to be included, yet the engagement has been negligible."

The Royal College of Psychiatrists said many "key concerns" surrounding the assisted dying Bill remain unresolved after it was passed to the House of Lords.

Conservative ex-minister Sir James Cleverly, who led the opposition to the Bill in the Commons, spoke of a close friend who died "painfully" from cancer. He said he comes at the divisive issue "not from a position of faith nor from a position of ignorance", and was driven in his opposition by "concerns about the practicalities" of the Bill.