Rejecting the assisted dying bill was the right call — the safeguards simply weren't strong enough to protect vulnerable people from subtle coercion. Prioritizing fully funded, universally available palliative care is the compassionate path forward, not opening a door that the most vulnerable feared. Human dignity demands better options, not a shortcut that could exploit those with the fewest choices.
Voting down the assisted dying bill by 69 to 57 is a devastating blow to terminally ill Scots who deserve the right to choose a dignified death. Thousands of campaigners and courageous patients fought hard for this compassionate reform, and that fight is far from finished. The push for a safer, more humane law will only grow stronger from here.
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