Plurality of Scotland's residents continue to oppose assisted suicide

More Scots object to assisted suicide for people with “incurable” (but not terminal) illnesses than support it, according to a recent poll.

Key Takeaways:

• Recent polling indicates that a plurality of Scots do not believe that assisted suicide should be allowed for people with "incurable" sicknesses as compared to "terminal" illnesses.

• Opponents have pointed out the possible abuses of such a law.

• Opponents have noted that the law would pose a risk to the disabled and the most vulnerable.

 The Details:

A YouGov tracker poll of 156 Scottish citizens discovered that 38% of respondents said assisted suicide should not be allowed in cases involving “incurable” sicknesses as opposed to “terminal” sicknesses, compared with 33% who supported it.

The rest of the respondents were either undecided or did not indicate a stance, The Christian Institute reported. The same report added: 

This is the second time the tracker has reported more opposition than support in Scotland, although across Great Britain, a total of 41 per cent of 1,750 adults supported assisted suicide for those with incurable but not terminal illnesses, with 32 per cent against.

The results came in the wake of renewed debates in the Scottish Parliament, where campaigners on both sides have been lobbying lawmakers before an upcoming vote on assisted dying legislation.

Supporters of assisted dying have alleged that permitting the practice in situations of incurable illness would offer vulnerable people more autonomy when suffering. Opponents have cautioned against the dangers of abuses of the law, the pressures put upon chronically sick and disabled people, and the underlying message a law on assisted dying would convey regarding the value and sanctity of life. 

As stated by The Christian Institute:

Under the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, those who have been resident in Scotland for at least twelve months could get help from a medic to kill themselves if they are deemed to be terminally ill.

But ‘terminally ill’ is merely defined as 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”.

Commentary:

In early September 2025, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney slammed assisted dying legislation as “discriminatory,” stating that it poses an “insurmountable risk to disabled peoples’ equality and human rights.” In May of this year, Swinney indicated his plans to reject the legalization of assisted dying, accordingto a BBC article. At that time, Swinney testified: 

“I've come to the conclusion that I can't support it (the legislation) because I'm worried that it would fundamentally change the relationships between patients and clinicians. I'm worried that some of the vulnerable in our society might feel that they are a burden and that they may therefore opt or feel under pressure to end their life prematurely.”

Elaborating, Swinney admitted that his religious faith had shaped his views on assisted dying, saying, “I can't separate myself from my own judgments.”

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) also expressed opposition to the assisted dying legislation in Scotland:

SPUC stands firm in opposing this dangerous trajectory. Deeply concerned by the Bill’s progress at Stage 1, SPUC asks Scots to urge every MSP to consider the great dangers inherent in assisted suicide. Critically, this Bill introduces several troubling features.

First, use of assisted suicide risks expanding far beyond its stated boundaries. SPUC warns that in countries that have legalised so-called assisted dying, safeguards are swiftly eroded, and the most vulnerable are put at risk” Second, legal experts caution that weak safeguards may leave those with disabilities exposed to coercion or pressure.