A Landmark Victory for Human Dignity and the Protection of Life

Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, has written the following statement after today’s vote in the House of Commons, where MPs voted to reject the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill by 286 votes to 270:

“MPs can be confident that they have taken the correct and responsible course of action. Their vote serves to protect some of the UK’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.

Every human life possesses inherent value. Genuine compassion is not expressed through ending a life, but through accompanying those who suffer and ensuring they receive the medical, emotional, and spiritual support that recognises their dignity. No life is without worth.

As a society, our responsibility is not to address suffering by eliminating the sufferer, but to surround each person with care, respect, and dignity until their natural end. Today’s decision, in conjunction with the decision of the Scottish Parliament in March, moves the UK further in that direction, and MPs should be commended for this.

However, we must continue to make progress. Government must now work hard to strengthen palliative care by ensuring that it is properly funded and accessible to all who require it.

I would like to express my gratitude to all MPs for their serious engagement with this issue and for the thoughtful and considered attention they have given to the bill. I am especially grateful to those who upheld the principle of human dignity and advocated on behalf of the vulnerable. Your principled commitment has not gone unnoticed.”