Welsh Parliament Votes Against Assisted Suicide Support
The Senedd lacks the authority to alter laws, as that power is held by Westminster. However, the recent vote serves as a symbolic rejection of legalizing certain measures in Wales.
The Welsh Parliament has voted against a motion supporting assisted suicide and a potential change in the law at Westminster.
Significant figures within the Welsh Government, such as First Minister Eluned Morgan and Secretary for Health and Social Care Jeremy Miles, voted against it. They expressed concerns that any laws allowing assisted suicide passed in Westminster could have significant consequences for Wales.
The Senedd cannot enact law changes itself, as that authority lies with central government. Nonetheless, the vote symbolizes a firm rejection of legalizing assisted suicide, especially with upcoming debates on two Private Members’ Bills—one led by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater—that would affect both England and Wales.
Right to Life UK characterized the vote as a setback for the assisted suicide movement.
In a statement, Right to Life UK spokeswoman Catherine Robinson said, “Assisted suicide advocates presumed they would secure the Welsh Parliament’s endorsement for Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill in Westminster. However, the vote demonstrated clear opposition from the Welsh Assembly to implementing an assisted suicide framework in Wales.”
Concerns on the Horizon
Strong reservations were expressed during the debate preceding the vote. Members of the Senedd (MS) warned that legalizing assisted suicide for terminally ill adults could pave the way for broader liberalization of the law.
Delyth Jewell, Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales East, voiced fears that the safeguards proposed in the Westminster bills might prove insufficient.
Jewell stated, “International precedents consistently show that no safeguard is immune; the experiences of Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, and certain U.S. states illustrate the ease with which laws can evolve.
“Originally introduced for terminally ill individuals, as proposed in Westminster, these laws gradually erode safeguards, resulting in eligibility for individuals with depression, anorexia, and other non-terminal conditions—conditions from which recovery is possible, lives that could have improved.”
Conservative MS for Clwyd West, Darren Millar, believed that legalizing assisted suicide would convey a disturbing message that some lives are not worth living.
Implications for the Vulnerable
Leadbeater presented her Private Members’ Bill in the House of Commons on Oct. 16, with a scheduled debate on Nov. 29. Lord Charles Falconer introduced a similar Private Members’ Bill in the House of Lords last month, set for debate in November in the Upper House.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby cautioned that such laws could be abused, particularly against seniors. He cautioned that “the right to end one’s life could inadvertently become a responsibility to do so.”
Right to Life UK declared assisted suicide as a “menace to vulnerable individuals,” especially in a strained NHS environment.
Robinson remarked, “With a ‘broken’ NHS, according to the Health Secretary, and 100,000 individuals requiring palliative care annually but not receiving it, the imminent assisted suicide legislation spells disaster.
“The UK must prioritize well-funded, high-quality palliative care for those nearing the end of life, rather than assisted suicide.”
