This week parliament will debate and vote on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults bill (writes Labour Lothians list MSP FOYSOL CHOUDHURY).
In the run up to vote, I have endeavoured to engage with organisations both for and against the bill and hear the views of constituents.
After having considered my position, I will be voting against the bill.
The bill uses a broad definition of terminal illness which would include people with disabilities and those with years to live.
This has been raised by constituents and disabled people’s groups as sending the message that their lives are less valuable and opening them to potential coercion. These concerns are compounded by experiences in other jurisdictions, which have seen the law widened following legal challenges.
I am also concerned that assisted dying would place undue pressure on terminally ill people to end their lives as to not be a burden on their families, and do not believe proposed safeguards protect against this.
I understand some may be disappointed, this has been a difficult decision to make.
In any case, our priority should be ensuring every person can access palliative care, and those with terminal illnesses are well supported.
SUPPORTERS of law change on assisted dying from across Scotland have gathered outside the Scottish Parliament this morning in a powerful demonstration to show their support for Liam McArthur MSP’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill as it progresses through Parliament.
Organised by Dignity in Dying Scotland, the event will bring together individuals living with terminal illnesses, bereaved families, and supporters of end-of-life choice. The demonstration will feature placards, and speeches, to demonstrate the groundswell of support for law change in Scotland and symbolise the lives affected by the current lack of assisted dying legislation.
The demonstration takes place on the same day MSPs will be voting at Stage 1 on the Bill, which would give mentally competent, terminally ill adults the right to request assistance to end their lives, introducing oversight and regulation where none currently exists. Polling consistently shows overwhelming public support in Scotland for a change in the law, with 78% backing the proposal.
Ally Thomson, Director of Dignity in Dying Scotland, said: “It is the voices of dying Scots and those who have watched a loved one endure a harrowing death that are at the centre of this bill. Their message to MSPs is clear – it’s time to deliver compassion, safety and choice for people facing a bad death.
“This demonstration is about showing the human cost of the suffering caused by the current blanket ban on assisted dying —a cost that is simply too much for dying people, and their family and friends to bear.
“This Stage 1 vote could be a milestone moment – putting comfort, choice and safety in place of pain and fear. We urge Parliament to listen to the voices of dying people and take this historic step.”
The demonstration will reassemble from 6pm to react to the outcome of the Stage 1 vote, expected around 7pm,
