MSPs have recently voted on the controversial assisted dying bill, subsequently rejecting the bill. After an intense and emotional debate, the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults bill was defeated in Scotland by 69 votes to 57.
Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur tabled the proposal which would have allowed medical help for terminally-ill, mentally competent adults to end their lives.
To attempt to win the vote, several amendments were made by McArthur. Even so, his efforts failed at the bills third reading.
Scottish Parliament votes against legalising assisted dying in Scotland by 69 votes to 57 https://t.co/L7dxQ28qFy
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) March 17, 2026
Assisted dying coercion: too big a risk for Scotland MSPs
The debate was unsurprisingly emotionally intense, with many passionately speaking to their reasoning behind their support, or lack thereof, for the proposed bill. Supporters emphasised the relief it could provide to terminally ill Scots and their families, while critics raised significant concerns about the risk of misuse or coercion.
Amidst heated debate, some maintained that the focus should be on improving palliative care, ensuring that choosing to live is easier than choosing to die. Others argued that the two approaches are not mutually exclusive, and that we can both strengthen palliative care whilst supporting those who wish to have control over their deaths.
On X, MSP Dr Pam Gosal gave her reasoning behind her voting against assisted dying:
After much thought and consideration, I have decided to vote ‘No’ on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.
Firstly, there is a real fear that vulnerable people, including women who have suffered domestic abuse, could be coerced into taking their own… pic.twitter.com/IYvSbyt9Nt
— Dr Pam Gosal MBE MSP (@DrPamGosal) March 13, 2026
MSPs stood firm insisting that the risk for coercion is too great as it would potentially lead to the deaths of vulnerable people, particularly disabled Scots or women living under domestic abuse.
Disabled MSP Jeremy Balfour voted against and pleaded with his fellow colleagues to do likewise:
Jeremy Balfour tells MSPs that disabled people are “frightened” by the assisted dying Bill. “Colleagues, friends, I am begging you to consider what the consequences of passing this bill will be for the most vulnerable in our communities,” he says. pic.twitter.com/r3Ozc3xurH
— Andrew Learmonth (@andrewlearmonth) March 17, 2026
Poorly run state could incentivise people to end their lives
Likewise, SNP’s Ruth Maguire voted against the bill, speaking about how this might have shown up in her life. Maguire was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer in 2021:
It’s not a free choice if you do not have access to good palliative care.
Adding:
My blood runs cold thinking about sitting in a room in hospital and having a doctor raise [assisted dying] with me as we weigh up treatment options.
Recent polling indicates that a majority in Scotland share MSPs’ concerns about the effects of underfunded state services. Inadequate palliative care, NHS provision, or social care could indirectly pressure disabled and vulnerable people toward seeking assistance to end their lives.
Slater: “We should all have the right to choose”
On the other hand, strong arguments were also given in support of the bill. This highlights how there is a need for a serious conversation about how we help those who are suffering with terminal illnesses whilst not risking the safety of those who might face undue influence.
Former Green co-leader Lorna Slater spoke of her father’s assisted death in Canada, fighting back tears she recounted her heartbreaking farewell to her father as “beautiful”. She stated:
We should all have the right to choose.
“It was beautiful. I wish that death for myself. I wish it for anyone who wants it for themselves.” Lorna Slater tells MSPs about her father’s assisted death in Canada. pic.twitter.com/Vz9UJ3rPUB
— Andrew Learmonth (@andrewlearmonth) March 17, 2026
The SNP’s George Adam referred to his wife watching in the public gallery, who has Multiple Sclerosis (MS), saying:
If the worst should ever come to her, if she was ever facing that unbearable suffering at the end of life, she would want a choice.
Conservative MSP and NHS GP Sandesh Gulhane quoted a patient who insisted:
You wouldn’t let a dog die like this.
Unperturbed, McArthur is continuing with trying to pass the bill:
“This is coming back.” Speaking to journalists in Holyrood after the defeat of his assisted dying bill, Liam McArthur says the public overwhelmingly want a change in the law. pic.twitter.com/aZnj4JL351
— Andrew Learmonth (@andrewlearmonth) March 17, 2026
Autonomy for all
This issue has generated deeply emotional debate on both sides, each advancing legitimate arguments over the substance of the bill. In essence, the issue of autonomy is at the core of this crucial and necessary conversation.
One side feels they have no control over how they live their final months. The other fears losing that control – and even their lives – against their wishes.
Both deserve autonomy, yet the debate sets them against one another.
The establishment has taken so much away from vulnerable people across the country, they rightly fear how that establishment might coerce them into their own demise. All the while, society has long ignored the suffering of terminally ill people. And, a hostility to disabled people is baked into our culture. It is little wonder, then, that the assisted dying debate is so emotional.
A solution must be found that prioritises autonomy for both groups. Not leave a suffering group with no autonomy, for fear another group might lose theirs. Compassion and dignity need not be a zero-sum equation.
Featured image via the Canary
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