Assisted Dying Bill Scotland RECAP as MSPs reject bill

It will be one of the most consequential votes in the history of the Scottish Parliament.

The final vote on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill will take place at 10pm this evening, with the outcome thought to be on a knife-edge.

The bill would allow for terminally-ill Scots to seek help to end their lives, and supporters insist it is the “toughest and most comprehensively safeguarded” legislation of its type anywhere in the world.

Read more here: Explained: How would Scotland’s assisted dying laws work and what are the safeguards?

But opponents say it would be a “catastrophe in terms of how our society confronts illness and disability”, leaving vulnerable people open to exploitation and abuse and potentially leading to a slippery slope in which safeguards are loosened in future.

MSPs spent dozens of hours debating the bill late into the night over several days last week, including during a rare sitting on a Friday, and accepted 175 amendments.

Follow along on the last day of debate as we approach this evening’s vote.