The Welsh Parliament has voted against implementing assisted dying. Twenty-six voted against a change in the law, while 19 voted in favour, with nine abstentions in a vote which is not legally binding.
The Senedd does not have sufficient power to change the law on the issue, but a cross-party motion submitted by Labour member Julie Morgan had called for terminally ill people in ‘intolerable suffering’ who want to die to be given the chance to do so, aided by medical professionals.
The result will likely be seen as a blow for those campaigning to legalise assisted suicide in the UK parliament with a vote set to take place in the near future. Several high-profile government figures, including Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner are believed to be against a change in the law due to concerns with safeguarding and the potential impact upon palliative care.
Christian groups opposing the motion, including Christian Concern, the Christian Medical Fellowship and the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC), protested outside the Senedd as the motion was discussed. Protests focused on statistics from other countries where assisted suicide has been legalised, such as Canada, to highlight the potential dangers of the legislation.
