Great news: Welsh parliament rejects assisted suicide.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Great news. The Wales parliament rejected assisted suicide by a vote of 26 to 19 in a motion on October 23. 

The Kim Leadbeater private members bill that will be debated in the UK is proposed to encompass England and Wales. The Welch parliament rejecting assisted suicide may cause the UK parliament to limit the assisted suicide bill to England.

Dr Gordon Macdonald

Care Not Killing (UK) reported in their October 23 media release that Dr Gordon Macdonald, CEO for Care Not Killing stated that:

“This is an encouraging result and proves that the more people, including parliamentarians, hear about implications of legalising state assisted killing the more they reject changing the law, because they see how it would put pressure on the elderly, terminally ill and disabled people to end their lives prematurely. This is exactly what we have seen in the handful of places who have legalised state assisted killing.

Macdonald continued his comments by focusing on abuses of the laws permitting euthanasia and/or assisted suicide in the US State of Oregon, in Belgium and in Canada. He then states:

“At a time when we have seen how broken our health care system is, how one in four Brits who would benefit from palliative care, I would suggest this should be the focus of attention, rather than the constant debate about this dangerous and ideological policy.” 

David Deans and Gareth Lewis reported BBC news that:

Senedd members, including First Minister Eluned Morgan and Health Secretary Jeremy Miles, have voted against a motion calling for a new law to allow assisted dying in Wales and England.

Miles had earlier warned of "huge ramifications" for Wales if the law changed.

More articles on this topic:

• UK's Labour MP's are divided on assisted suicide (Link).
• The UK will soon debate assisted suicide. Canada's euthanasia regime should cause caution (Link).