Scotland could become first UK country to back legalising assisted dying tonight
A landmark vote this evening could result in Scotland becoming the first country in the UK to back the legalisation of assisted dying.
MSPs at Holyrood will decide this evening if they want Lib Dem Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill to become law.
The vote appeared too close to call, hours before the final debate on the legislation was due to begin.
When MSPs last voted on the bill in May 2025, 70 supported it and 56 were opposed.
But those numbers are likely to have shifted in the months since.
The bill itself has shifted considerably over that time, with 175 amendments being accepted in the past week alone.
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Bodies including the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland (RCPsychiS) and Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Scotland have withdrawn support due to some of the changes.
In its current form, the legislation would allow people to get assistance to end their own lives if they meet the following criteria:
- They are 18 years old or older
- They are terminally ill, with a reasonable expectation they will die within six months
- They have been resident in Scotland for at least 12 months before the initial declaration
- They have the capacity to request the assistance
- They have the approval of two doctors
At the end of the process, they would then need to administer the lethal substance themselves.
Liam McArthur’s effort marks the third time the Scottish Parliament has contemplated the legalisation of assisted dying, with previous bills being voted down by large margins.
The Liberal Democrat MSP said his proposals have the ‘overwhelming support of a significant majority of Scots regardless of religious affiliation, political party or disability status’.
Nevertheless, it is opposed by several influential figures in Holyrood, including First Minister John Swinney, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, and Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay.
Findlay is among those who have changed their mind on the bill. He said he has concerns about the potential for coercion.
What time is the vote on assisted dying tonight?
It is expected MSPs will vote on the assisted dying bill tonight at around 10pm, following several hours of debate.
The vote will come amid controversy over the handling of the separate proposed legislation on assisted dying in England and Wales.
MPs in the House of Commons voted to back legalisation in June last year, but the bill has stalled in the House of Lords as peers discuss more than 1,200 amendments.
Supporters of Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill now say it is now almost certain to fail, as there is not enough time to debate every measure before the King’s Speech in May.
They are now urging Sir Keir Starmer to find time in the new session for Parliament to come to a decision on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Isle of Man and Jersey have both voted in favour of legalising assisted dying, making them the first parts of the British Isles to do so.
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