EDINBURGH — Scotland’s long-running debate over the right to die took a pivotal step forward on Tuesday as the Scottish Parliament voted 70 to 56 in favour of considering a bill that would legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults.
The result, delivered after a free vote and months of scrutiny, marks the first time Holyrood has agreed to formally progress such legislation. The proposed law, introduced by Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, will now proceed to committee stage for detailed examination.
The vote comes just days ahead of a similar debate scheduled at Westminster, where MPs in England and Wales will also consider legalising assisted dying — further raising the stakes for what could become a defining shift in UK end-of-life policy.
Divided Parliament, United Emotion
In a debate described by observers as among the most emotionally charged in recent Holyrood history, McArthur implored colleagues not to shut down the bill prematurely, arguing it would deny choice to those facing “horrendous” ends.
“Too many dying people face bad deaths,” McArthur said. “Blocking this bill today would be to turn our backs on those who suffer the most.”
In his closing appeal, he urged MSPs to help craft a “measured and compassionate law” rather than avoid a subject he called “the most wicked of problems.” Citing international examples, McArthur pointed to more than 300 million people living in jurisdictions where assisted dying is now legal — from Canada to the Isle of Man.
Political Fault Lines Cut Across Parties
The vote exposed deep divisions within and across Scotland’s main parties, with leadership figures on both sides of the argument.
First Minister John Swinney, alongside former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, and his deputy Jackie Baillie, opposed the bill — highlighting continued resistance within the SNP and Labour.
In contrast, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and his deputy Rachael Hamilton voted in favour at stage one, as did Scottish Greens co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater.
The bill also won backing from Rona Mackay, an SNP MSP and deputy convener of the cross-party group on assisted dying. Mackay described the legislation as “a cautious, evidence-based step forward,” rooted in best international practice.
Protest and Counter-Protest at Holyrood
Outside parliament, the debate played out in parallel demonstrations. Earlier in the day, supporters of the bill rallied to call for a change in the law. Later, around 60 disability rights activists — many affiliated with anti-euthanasia campaigns — staged a rally urging MSPs to reject the measure.
Among them was Liz Carr, the actor and longtime campaigner, who delivered a passionate appeal to keep assisted dying illegal. Inside Holyrood, similar themes surfaced in a tense atmosphere.
“Rather than legislating to assist to die, let us resolve to legislate to assist people to live,” said Pam Duncan-Glancy, Scottish Labour’s education spokesperson and Holyrood’s first full-time wheelchair user. Visibly emotional, she warned the bill could not ensure “free and equal” choices in a society already stacked against disabled people.
Personal Tragedy Meets Public Policy
In one of the debate’s most poignant moments, SNP MSP Elena Whitham described watching her mother starve herself to death over two weeks in hospital after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Whitham said her mother’s experience of “all-encompassing terror” underscored the brutal reality of current law. “Voting to keep the status quo is not an act without consequence,” she said. “We deserve better.”
Her argument was met with a rebuttal from Tory MSP Edward Mountain, who warned the bill could lead to passive coercion — particularly among Scots without access to quality palliative care or private options.
“This parliament has a duty to make it easier to choose life,” Mountain said. “Not to make it easier to die.”
The Road Ahead: Scrutiny, Safeguards, and Final Vote
The bill now moves to stage two, where a parliamentary committee will review it line-by-line, propose amendments, and scrutinise key safeguards. Among the central issues will be eligibility criteria, mental capacity assessments, and protections against coercion.
If the bill survives this stage, it will return for a final vote. Previous efforts to legalise assisted dying in Scotland — most recently in 2015 — failed to clear even the first hurdle. But the scale of support on Tuesday suggests a potentially different outcome this time.
For supporters, the bill offers a path to dignity, autonomy, and compassionate choice at the end of life. For opponents, it risks crossing a dangerous ethical threshold with unintended consequences for the vulnerable.
As one MSP put it bluntly in the chamber: “This is not a vote about death. It is a vote about control.”
