A bid to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland is set to fail, according to a survey of members of the Scottish Parliament.
A poll of 97 MSPs showed that more than half of all respondents were opposed to the proposal.
Only 19 MSPs said they would support the assisted suicide legislation, with 23 undecided.
The “End of Life Choices” Bill, which would legalise assisted suicide in Scotland, was proposed by independent MSP Margo MacDonald.
Mrs MacDonald suffers from Parkinson’s disease and has made clear her intention to want the right to end her own life at a future point.
Her Bill has received enough support from MSPs to be the subject of a full debate in the Scottish Parliament, but the survey results suggest it will get no further.
MSPs and church leaders are among those who have criticised the proposed Bill.
The survey of MSPs was carried out by the pro-life campaign group, Care Not Killing alliance.
The Alliance’s policy officer, Gordon Macdonald, said: “Many MSPs are concerned about the impact of Margo’s bill on vulnerable people.
“It is not possible to guarantee safeguards to protect people from real or imagined pressure to end their life.”