McArthur ‘confident’ of Holyrood passing Assisted Dying Bill in 2026

The MSP spearheading a Bill that would legalise assisted dying in Scotland has said he is “confident” of getting it passed by Holyrood.

Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur secured a landmark victory in May 2025 when the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of the general principles of his Bill – which would give terminally ill adults the option of seeking help to die.

That was the third time the Scottish Parliament had voted on the issue, with previous attempts at legislation falling at this hurdle.

With Holyrood’s Health Committee now having considered almost 300 amendments to the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, the legislation is expected to come back before Holyrood early in 2026.

Further amendments could be made to the proposals at this stage, before the crucial final vote – which is expected in March.

With the Bill having passed its initial vote by 70 to 56, opponents of assisted dying believe they can stop the change becoming law.

But speaking to the Press Association, Mr McArthur said: “I am confident that still a majority of my MSP colleagues support a change in the law.”

His comments came after three MSPs – Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, Labour’s Michael Marra and Scottish Conservative Edward Mountain – came together to publicly speak out against his Bill.

Mr McArthur said the final amending stage could give MSPs the chance to make changes to the Bill “they feel are appropriate”.

This final amendment stage could be a “lengthy process”, he added, with Mr McArthur saying there could “perhaps” be more than 300 possible amendments put forward.

He added: “I hope on the back of that they will pass this legislation, allow more choice at the end of life for the small but not insignificant number of Scots desperately, desperately in need of that.”

Under his proposals a person would have to be suffering from an “advanced and progressive disease, illness or condition from which they are unable to recover and that can reasonably be expected to cause their premature death”.

They would also have to have the mental capacity to request an assisted death, and would have to have lived in Scotland for at least a year before doing so.

The Bill has been going through the Scottish Parliament at the same time as Westminster considers similar proposals from MP Kim Leadbeater – with extra time having to be allowed there for further scrutiny of her Bill in the House of Lords.

This has led opponents of assisted dying to claim that consideration of Mr McArthur’s Bill has been more rushed in comparison.

But he insists “that’s a hard argument to stack up”, with the MSP saying: “I announced my intention to introduce the Bill back in June 2021.

“The proposals have been subject to lengthy consultation, the drafting of the Bill took the best part of 18 months, the scrutiny process through the Health and Social Care Committee was painstaking, a detailed report prepared on that, a lengthy process of stage two amendments considered and further stage three amendments to come in the new year.

“That’s the best part of five years. I can’t think of a Bill that has been subject to quite as much scrutiny as this Bill.”

This level of scrutiny is “right and proper” for an “issue of this sensitivity”, he added.

But he stressed: “I think the public has long been in support of a change in the law. I think what they want to see is MSPs across the parties engaging with the process, treating it seriously and making sure that whatever legislation we ultimately pass is fit for the circumstances here in Scotland.”

And while he “very much” hopes that Parliament will pass the Bill and “introduce a law that is long overdue and much needed” he said politicians must also be aware that “not passing the law has significant consequences as well”.

He added: “The current ban on assisted dying is leading to too many Scots having a series of pretty unpalatable choices at the end of life.”

Dr Miro Griffiths, of the Better Way campaign against assisted dying, said even a “cursory” look at the Bill shows claims that scrutiny has improved the legislation “to be untrue”.

Speaking about the prospect of hundreds more amendments being considered, he insisted: “This is a negative, not a positive.

“It shows that parliamentarians still lack confidence in the Bill. Many serious issues were identified at stage two and not addressed.

“This compounds the challenge MSPs will face at the next stage – they will have to grapple with dozens if not hundreds more potential changes to a Bill that has life or death consequences for Scots.”

He also argued there are still “unsolvable problems in the assisted suicide Bill”, adding: “There is nothing that could rule out people being coerced into ending their lives, either behind closed doors in an abusive situation or through societal pressure that arises from a lack of support.

“There is nothing to prevent mission creep in legislation in years to come that makes Scotland’s law even more permissive.”