Scottish families vow to continue fight for assisted dying law after Scottish Parliament vote

The Bill proposed to allow terminally ill, mentally competent adults in Scotland the option of an assisted death, alongside access to high-quality palliative and end-of-life care. A vote saw 57 MSPs vote in favour of the legislation, with 69 MSPs voting against and 1 abstention.

Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying, said:

“This result will be painfully felt by the dying people who want this choice, and the overwhelming majority of Scots who support a change in the law. But make no mistake – this debate is not going away.

“Today’s vote shows how far this issue has moved in a short space of time. After years of careful scrutiny and debate, today MSPs came closer than ever before to giving dying people greater choice at the end of life. That number has trebled since the Scottish Parliament first voted on assisted dying in 2010. That is a remarkable change in parliamentary opinion and a clear sign that this debate is moving in one direction.

“We must remember that this movement has been driven by the courage of terminally ill people and their families, who have spoken so openly about the suffering caused by the current law. They will feel today’s result most keenly, but their voices have undoubtedly changed this debate forever and remain the driving force of this campaign.

“Across the UK and Crown Dependencies, the direction of travel is becoming clearer. Legislatures in Jersey and the Isle of Man have already approved assisted dying laws, and both the House of Commons and the Senedd have voted to progress reforms. This is proof of the humble tenacity of dying people and their families, who simply will not rest until change is achieved. 

“Make no mistake, this debate will return to the Scottish Parliament. When it does, we are determined to achieve the safe, compassionate law that dying people want and need.”

The result marks a significant shift in parliamentary opinion. When the Scottish Parliament first voted on assisted dying in 2010, just 16 MSPs supported a change in the law. By 2015 that number had more than doubled to 36. Today, 57 MSPs backed reform, bringing the Scottish Parliament closer than ever before to giving dying people this choice.

The vote follows years of parliamentary scrutiny and debate. During that time, MSPs have taken extensive evidence from medical and legal experts, heard testimony from people with terminal illness and bereaved families, and examined the legislation through detailed committee scrutiny, parliamentary debate and votes at multiple stages of the legislative process.

Throughout that process, people across Scotland have spoken publicly about the realities of dying under the current law, describing the distress caused when people feel they must choose between unbearable suffering, taking matters into their own hands or travelling abroad for help to die.

Norma Rivers, from Ayr, who is living with terminal blood cancer, said:

“For people like me living with terminal illness, today’s result is incredibly difficult to hear. But knowing that Parliament came so close to changing the law gives me hope.

“I want to live for as long as possible, but I also want the reassurance that I will have dignity and choice at the end of my life. I hope and trust that MSPs will come back to this issue very soon.”

Campaigners for the Bill, including people with terminal illness and bereaved families, gathered outside the Scottish Parliament for the vote, with many watching from the public gallery inside Holyrood.

Public support for assisted dying in Scotland remains consistently strong. New constituency-level polling* published last week found majority support for law change in every part of the country, with every Parliamentary constituency and region backing the introduction of a safeguarded assisted dying law for terminally ill adults. The polling also revealed strong and consistent support among voters of all major political parties.

Across the UK and Crown Dependencies, assisted dying legislation is progressing in a number of legislatures. In Jersey and the Isle of Man, parliaments have already given final approval to assisted dying laws for terminally ill adults, while at Westminster Kim Leadbeater MP’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill continues its parliamentary passage.

Around the world, assisted dying laws for terminally ill adults are already in place across Australia, New Zealand and several US states.

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For more information, please contact Tom Steen, Media & Campaigns Officer at tom.steen@dignityindying.org.uk or 07356135578