Liam McArthur has lost his bid to to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland after an hours-long final debate in which more MSPs stood up to speak against the proposals than for.
His Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill would have allowed terminally ill and mentally competent adults resident in Scotland for at least a year to receive medical assistance to end their lives.
After years of debates and amendments, MSPs voted late on Tuesday night 69 to 57 against the proposals, with one member abstaining.
Speaking after the defeat of his bill, McArthur said he was “deeply disappointed” but that he believed “this is not a conversation that is going away”.
"For so long as dying Scots continue to suffer as a result of the lack of choice and safety afforded to them by the current law, I’m certain that it will be an issue in front of parliament once more,” he said.
Opponents, including Christians, have welcomed the outcome, with Simon Calvert, Deputy Director of The Christian Institute, saying: “We thank God that MSPs got the message that they simply could not pass this wretched bill.
“The many constituents who contacted their elected representatives can take a bow. So many colleges of medicine and disability groups expressed concern about the risks to the vulnerable and the sheer unworkability of the proposals.
“I think the lesson for Holyrood – and for Westminster too – is that there is no such thing as a ‘safe’ assisted suicide bill. Instead of offering death to the sick, we invite the MSPs who lost the vote today to transfer their campaigning energies to offering them better palliative care instead.”
Rev. Alasdair Macleod, Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, said he was "thankful and relieved" that the bill has been defeated.
“This decision affirms that every human life is precious and worthy of protection. As Christians we believe that human life is a gift from God, and that our calling as a society is to care for one another, especially in times of weakness, illness, and suffering," he said.
“This was the third, and hopefully final time, that the Scottish Parliament has voted on this issue. It must now be left, for at least a generation, with our collective focus shifting to what we can safely and compassionately achieve: improving palliative care, supporting families, and strengthening communities so that no one feels that their life has lost its value.
“Jesus Christ shows us how to be people who protect life, comfort the suffering, and walk alongside those who are struggling. Following his example remains our commitment as a Church.”
Dr Stuart Weir, head of the Christian policy group, CARE for Scotland, said he was “delighted” that MSPs had rejected what he called an “irredeemably flawed” bill. He said the outcome was “a real victory for the vulnerable” as he urged all political parties in Scotland to include clear plans for palliative care provision in their manifestos at the next election.
“If you look at countries where assisted suicide is legal, the same troubling and distressing pattern emerges: numbers increase year-on-year and categories of eligibility are widened,” he said.
"This bill would have opened a Pandora's box which would have fundamentally changed healthcare across Scotland.
“There is no doubt in my mind that Members have made a positive and truly compassionate decision today.
“What Scotland needs to do is ensure proper palliative care is available for all who need it. We know that when this is available, people can have a good death."
Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said that MSPs had taken “the correct and responsible course of action” and should now focus on ensuring that palliative care is "properly funded and accessible to all who require it".
“Their vote serves to protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death,” he said.
“Every human life possesses inherent value. Genuine compassion is not expressed through ending a life, but through accompanying those who suffer and ensuring they receive the medical, emotional, and spiritual support that recognises their dignity. No life is without worth.
“As a society, our responsibility is not to address suffering by eliminating the sufferer, but to surround each person with care, respect, and dignity until their natural end. Today’s decision moves Scotland further in that direction, and MSPs should be commended for this."
The debate was often emotional, sometimes tearful, with many MSPs sharing how they had been personally affected by illness and the death of loved ones. Many expressed an awareness of how seismic the vote was, whichever way it went - assisted suicide legislation has been proposed in Scotland before but never reached this stage in the legislative process. Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, Jackie Baillie - who voted against - called the bill the most “consequential of the devolution era”.
During the debate, McArthur had sought to assure MSPs that his bill was “tightly drawn”, “heavily safeguarded” and “legally defensible”, but by the time of his closing speech he was conceding that it would fail after a majority of MSPs spoke against, including many who had originally been supportive at stage one.
Among those to switch to a position of opposition was Tory MSP Brian Whittle who said that while his "instinct is to allow choice", he was not persuaded that the bill “in the current social climate meets the high bar required to pass assisted dying legislation".
Like others speaking in the chamber on Tuesday night, he voiced concerns about coercion and the lack of safeguards for pharmacists and medical professionals.
Both the the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland and The Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Scotland adopted positions of opposition to McArthur’s bill in recent days, having previously been neutral. This was after a number of safeguards, including conscience clauses, were dropped.
Peter Lynas, UK Director of the Evangelical Alliance, welcomed the defeat of McArthur's bill, saying that it was "unsafe, unworkable, and risked undermining the value of those who are elderly, disabled or nearing the end of life".
"Scotland must be a place where everyone can live with dignity and thrive," he said.
"This decision should ensure renewed commitment to high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care across our health and social care systems."
The late switchers added to a number of MSPs, many of them high ranking, who had already confirmed their opposition to the bill, including SNP leader John Swinney, Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, Scottish Conservative leader, Russell Findlay, and former First Minister Humza Yousaf.
The bill had the support of Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Greens co-leaders Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay, and a number of other MSPs, but in the end it was not enough.
During the debate, the same concerns kept arising - a lack of safeguards, fears of coercion, and the implications for vulnerable people, including those living with disability.
SNP MSP Ruth Maguire, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in May 2021, said that the bill “frightens me”.
"My blood runs cold thinking about sitting in a room in hospital and having a doctor raise [assisted suicide] with me as we weigh up treatment options," she said.
"In voting against the bill I'm just choosing to vote for the inherent dignity of life and I urge colleagues to do the same."
Independent MSP John Mason brought a rare Christian perspective to the chamber when he said that God is the One who “gives life and decides when life should end”, and that no matter how much suffering there might be in this life, “there is something better available to look forward to”.
Dr Gordon Macdonald, CEO of the Care Not Killing coalition, which is campaigning for improved palliative care, said he was “relieved” that MSPs had decided not to back the legislation.
"We believe the bill posed serious risks to the most vulnerable in society - including disabled people and those suffering from domestic abuse,” he said.
He added, “Looking forward, there is one thing that both sides are agreed on: that we must improve palliative care in Scotland in the future.
“No one should have to suffer a painful death and we have to invest in palliative care services to ensure that everyone has dignity at the end of life.”
Rt Rev Rosie Frew, Moderator of the Church of Scotland General Assembly, also welcomed the news, noting that the General Assembly had reaffirmed its opposition to assisted suicide in May 2025.
Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, Chief Executive of Right To Life UK, said the result was “a great victory for the most vulnerable in our society”.
“They deserve protection and care, not a pathway to suicide. If this legislation had passed, countless vulnerable people would have been pressured or coerced into ending their lives,” he said.
“The question of assisted suicide has dominated the five-year term of the current Scottish Parliament. The issue is now settled for a generation”.
“But as this debate ends, today marks the beginning of a new conversation. It is vital that after the Holyrood elections in May, MSPs come together to redouble their efforts to invest in universal access to high-quality palliative care.”
He urged Westminster, where similar legislation is being considered, to take heed of the result in Scotland.
“Holyrood has today sent a decisive message to Westminster by rejecting assisted suicide,” he said.
“The Westminster Bill is already on life support as Peers continue to address its multiple flaws and unanswered questions. Rather than ploughing on with their dangerous bill, the bill sponsors in Westminster must now follow Scotland’s example and accept that assisted suicide is not the answer. It cannot be introduced safely.”
