‘Sensational’ Opinion Poll Predicts Alliance to Liberate Scotland Party Breakthrough in May – Tommy Sheridan and Craig Murray set for election to the Scottish Parliament?
Find Out Now is a reputable opinion polling organisation belonging to the British Opinion Polling Council. They were commissioned by former MEP Hugh Kerr to add three specific questions to their monthly poll of Scottish opinion regarding the forthcoming election of May 7th – and the results are outstanding for the new Alliance to Liberate Scotland Party which was only officially registered with the Electoral Commission in February.
Find Out Now specifically asked voters in the Glasgow Region, the Lothians East Region and across Scotland if they would consider voting for the Scottish independence party at May’s election. Around 500 voters were polled in Glasgow and Lothians East and 1,000 voters were polled nationally.
In Glasgow former MSP and well-known independence campaigner Tommy Sheridan is the lead candidate for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland Party.
In the critical ‘Definitely’ of ‘Very Likely’ category 7% of voters said they would vote for the Alliance Party and Sheridan which would mean Sheridan’s re-election to Holyrood. In past elections 5% of the regional list vote has been enough to be elected and last time in 2021 the 7th list seat in Glasgow was won by the Tories on 6.1%. This opinion poll predicts Sheridan will replace a Tory to represent the Glasgow Region.
The poll across Lothians East where former British Ambassador and outspoken champion of Scottish independence Craig Murray is leading the Alliance to Liberate Scotland election challenge the result is even better.
A ‘very encouraging’ 8% of voters say they are definite or very likely Alliance voters, and that level of support will see Craig Murray elected in place of another Tory.
At a national level the level of support is also extremely encouraging for the new Alliance Party. Across 1,000 voters polled a significant8% say they will vote for the single-issue party on May 7th.
The Alliance to Liberate Scotland Party are promoting only one issue and that issue is Scottish independence. If the support for the Alliance stays as high as 8% or increases the new party will send 8 MSPs to the Scottish Parliament on a mission to pursue Scottish independence as the priority issue.
In most of the regional list seats around 6% of the list votes is enough to secure election and win one of the seven regional seats. With the Alliance to Liberate Scotland Party running at 8% it seems an electoral breakthrough is certain.
Alliance for Liberate Scotland has four candidates in Glasgow, Tommy Sheridan, Dhruva Kumar, Gail Sheridan and Hilda McMahon.
Lead Alliance candidate in Glasgow Tommy Sheridan said:“This opinion poll is sensational for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland Party. We were only registered in February and are not yet widely known but our determination to make Scottish independence the primary issue is clearly attracting votes from those sick and tired of Westminster corruption and the constant exploitation of Scotland.
“Independence supporters in Glasgow know list votes for SNP don’t count for them because they win the constituency seats. This poll shows I will take a list seat from a unionist Tory. That is good news for Glasgow and Scotland.
“I will demand our independence from Westminster is front and centre of the agenda after May’s election”.
Responding to the polling which suggests he is in line for election to the Scottish Parliament Craig Murray said:“More and more independence voters realise the utter folly of giving Regional List votes to the SNP. They simply don’t count because the voting system penalises parties that do well in constituency votes. The SNP will win most constituencies which is why they win no List seats.
“By giving their List votes to the Alliance to Liberate Scotland Party the independence community is blocking unionists from Labour and the Tories and racists like Reform from getting elected. They understand a List vote for the Alliance helps the independence cause”.
The Alliance to Liberate Scotland Party is standing in all eight of the regional list seats with over 32 candidates. They are also fielding candidates in several constituency seats in protest at the lack of progress by the SNP in advancing the cause of Scottish independence.
A man has been convicted of sexual offences while he was working as a politician.Jordan Linden, 30, was convicted of ten offences following a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court of crimes which included sexual assault, stalking, and sexual communication.
The victims were all boys or young men, and the offences took place between 2011 and 2021. The age of the youngest victim was 14.
One of the offences saw Linden sexually assault two victims at a house party in Dundee after a Pride march in 2019.
Linden, who was former leader of North Lanarkshire Council and earlier chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, was arrested and charged by specialist officers from Police Scotland in February 2024.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Diane Barr said: “This was a protracted investigation which involved speaking with a broad range of people, many of whom regarded Linden as being in a position of trust.
“He abused this position to befriend young males who were seeking his support and the opportunity to learn from his work, however his conduct toward them was far from professional.
“I’d like to thank the victims who came forward to report their experiences to police. Their testimony and support ensured that we were able to bring Linden before the courts.
“No-one should be subjected to sexual offending, and we will always investigate reports, regardless of when they occurred or who the perpetrator is.”
Linden was placed on the sex offenders register and is due to be sentenced in May.
Hi Drylaw, Telford and Edinburgh Northern Constituents,
Thank you to everyone that has shown an interest, and to those of you who have your tickets booked, we look forward to welcoming you to our event on Monday evening!
If you have a ticket booked, but can no longer attend, please cancel your ticket, contact us at hustings@drylawtelfordcc.org.uk or message the FB page as we do have a waiting list of people that would also like to attend.
For those that have received a waiting list spot, we will contact you if a ticket becomes available.
ALL those in attendance, must have a valid ticket due to fire regulations.
A new youth-led broadcast project is set to tackle misinformation and disinformation during the upcoming Scottish Elections, giving young people across the country a platform to investigate claims and engage voters with fact-checked reporting.
Launched yesterday (25 March 2026) Future Proof is an innovative initiative led by the Scottish Youth Film Foundation (SYFF). Six young journalists from across Scotland have been recruited to report on election campaigns through the lens of misinformation, disinformation and AI-generated content.
One of the six journalists is Rory Kirkpatrick from Portobello. Rory said: “As misinformation seems to get more and more prevalent, bringing attention to the truth only becomes more important.
“I believe we all must adapt to the ways that the spread of misinformation is changing in the age of social media.
“I’m joining SYFF’s Future Proof newsroom with the aim of helping people stay informed so that they can make decisions based off facts.”
Also joining Rory will be Emilie from Fort William, Robert from Kiltarlity, Rachel and Santi from Glasgow, and Tom from Kirkcaldy. Together, they offer a broad and diverse perspective on the issues affecting young people across the country.
Starting from 8 April, the team will produce four weekly live shows on YouTube, broadcasting every Tuesday at 6pm until 29 April. Each programme will investigate misleading claims, fabricated facts and AI generated content circulating during the campaign, while highlighting the issues that matter most to young voters.
Following each broadcast, the team will host a companion interactive webinar, allowing young people across Scotland to question the journalists directly and engage with expert guests on the key topics shaping the election.
The sessions aim to support engagement among young and first-time voters, while also providing relevant discussion material for teachers and pupils in schools.
David Barras, co-founder of the Scottish Youth Film Foundation, said: “It’s fantastic that Rory is supporting this really important project. Future Proof puts young people at the heart of one of the most important conversations in modern democracy – how we recognise truth in an age of misinformation.
“By giving young journalists the tools to investigate claims and question narratives, we’re helping ensure that the next generation of voters is informed, confident and ready to engage.
“The project was inspired by a discussion on media literacy and disinformation at the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics in summer 2025. Building on that conversation, Future Proof invites young people to articulate the issues that go beyond party political priorities and bring their perspectives to the centre of election debate.”
The post-show webinars are being delivered with support from Scotland’s Development Education Centres, working collectively on media literacy as part of global citizenship education under the umbrella of Scotland’s International Development Alliance (SIDA).
The project is being advised by Huw Owen, a former BBC Scotland News Editor who is also the Co-Chair of the Education Committee of SIDA.
Huw Owen said: “The impact of malicious and careless communication via digital and social media is now having a profound effect on all our lives. Supercharged by AI fakes, it is fuelling polarisation and fear within and between many of our communities here in Scotland and beyond. It is a clear threat to civilised debate and long shared democratic values.
“Across the globe, the distortion or misinterpretation of facts about conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and now Iran, or the undermining of well-established research on the climate crisis, must be combated with up-to-date guidance and support to help us turn the tide towards truth, honesty and decency in our politics.
“As a global citizenship community across Scotland and beyond, we firmly believe this effort must start in our schools and other places of learning. We need to reaffirm universal values of fairness and tolerance along with up-to-date tools and techniques to actively combat disinformation.
“This must be an overarching priority for whichever government is elected at Holyrood. It’s not too late to future proof our democracy.”
The initiative also brings together a range of national partners supporting young people’s participation in democratic debate.
Global fact-checking organisation Full Fact will provide training to the young journalists. The organisation has warned about the growing threat of AI-driven misinformation during election campaigns and continues to call for stronger responses to protect democratic processes.
Mark Frankel from Full Fact says: “These elections are taking place against a backdrop of an unprecedented distortion of facts. The public feels ill-equipped to deal with the manipulation of information they see before them and the threat of AI as they see it.
“Things are emerging online which are being pushed to them and they don’t know whether to believe it. It’s clear that this is undermining trust in our politicians, trust in the political system and the future of our democracies.”
Additional partners include Young Scot and the Scottish Youth Parliament, whose report “Young People and Politics” has informed the project and whose networks will help bring young voices into the conversation through guest speakers and participation opportunities.
The John Smith Centre will also contribute guest speakers and provide access to a youth hustings event taking place at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on 26 April.
Future Proof will stream live on YouTube at 6pm on 8, 15, 22 and 29 April. Each broadcast will be followed by an interactive webinar open to schools, youth organisations and young people across Scotland.
As his term as a Member of the Scottish Parliament comes to a close, Foysol Choudhury reflects on five years of representing the people of the Lothians, highlighting key achievements and defining issues during his time in office.
Since being elected in 2021, Foysol Choudhury has worked to address the most pressing concerns facing constituents, including NHS waiting times and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. He has concluded thousands of constituency cases, the majority of which relate to health, housing, and civil law and rights.
Many of these cases involve highly complex issues that Mr. Choudhury has supported his constituents with over several years.
Healthcare has remained a central focus of his work. Choudhury consistently advocated for improved access to GP services, reduced waiting times, and increased funding for diabetes treatment and brain tumour research. His work in this area contributed to progress in diabetes care and earned recognition through a Holyrood Awards nomination.
In 2025, he led the Parliament’s first Members’ Business debate on access to medical devices, placing patient experience at the forefront of policy discussions and pushing for improved access to essential treatments.
Beyond healthcare, Mr Choudhury supported communities on a wide range of local issues. He campaigned against unsafe housing conditions such as damp and mould, helped residents in Westfield Court pause demolition plans, and worked with communities in Eyre Place Lane to challenge over-scaled developments.
His work also covered infrastructure and local services, where he applied sustained pressure to progress projects such as the Winchburgh train station, supported South Queensferry residents seeking improved access to new housing via Ferrymuir Gait Road, and advocated for the revitalisation of Drylaw Shopping Centre.
He further pressed for faster progress on a new East Calder Health Centre and challenged cuts to health, social care, and community funding, warning of their impact on vulnerable communities.
As the first Bangladeshi Member of the Scottish Parliament, Foysol Choudhury worked to bring issues of racism and inequality to parliamentary debate. He called for stronger action to tackle racism, greater clarity on resources for schools, and supported efforts to promote a more inclusive curriculum reflecting Scotland’s diversity.
Foysol Choudhury also played a key role in advancing a petition on swimming provision, backing his constituent’s campaign and calling for a consistent national approach to ensure all children can swim by the end of primary school, emphasising it as a vital, life-saving skill.
Reflecting on his time in office, Foysol Choudhury said:“It has been a true privilege to represent the people of the Lothians. I am deeply grateful to everyone who placed their trust in me, shared their stories, and allowed me to champion their causes.
“This work would not have been possible without the dedication, care, and tireless efforts of so many: my team, colleagues, organisations, and communities driving change. My sincere thanks to you all.“
It includes a rolling programme on BBC One Scotland during the day on Friday 8 May to report the breaking news from the declarations across the country
BBC Scotland has unveiled a wide range of television, radio, and digital content to serve audiences throughout the 2026 Scottish Parliament Election campaign.
It includes a rolling programme on BBC One Scotland and BBC Radio Scotland during the day on Friday 8 May to report the breaking news from the declarations across the country.
There will be no overnight declarations, with results instead being announced progressively the day after the 7 May poll has taken place.
Presented by Martin Geissler with Laura Miller and Gary Robertson in Pacific Quay, Glasgow, and Rebecca Curran in Holyrood, the programme will air from 9.30 am on BBC One Scotland, combining live declarations, interviews, and reporting from every count location across Scotland. There’ll also be extended teatime and late editions of Reporting Scotland, presented by Laura Goodwin.
Coverage of the campaign will also include a live leaders debate broadcast from Paisley Town Hall on Sunday 12 April on BBC One Scotland and iPlayer from 7.00 – 8.30 pm.
Hosted by Stephen Jardine, The Debate Night Leaders Special will feature leaders from the Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Greens, Scottish Labour, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party, and Reform UK.
There’ll also be three regular Debate Night editions in the campaign, including one with a focus on hearing from younger voters.
BBC Scotland News online will run a daily live page starting on Tuesday 7 April, with news, features and interviews from the campaigns, and in-depth analysis of the big issues.
Digital content will include short-form pieces themed around explainers, news roundups, and manifesto digests. These will be on BBC digital channels and on a range of prominent social media platforms.
The digital offering will also include an online policy grid – an interactive tool giving a summary of where the main parties stand on the issues that are most important to voters.
BBC Scotland News will also host several hustings events across the country for radio and online, featuring candidate debates in specific constituencies.
On BBC Radio Scotland, Radio Scotland Breakfast will conduct a series of leader interviews, offering listeners the opportunity to hear directly from those seeking election.
The leaders will take calls on Mornings after their Radio Scotland Breakfast interview.
The BBC Verify team in Scotland will contribute specialist analysis and verification throughout the campaign, helping audiences to navigate the information and claims that will be aired in the weeks before polling day.
Coverage will also feature BBC Your Voice, a cross-platform project designed to amplify audience voices. It aims to reflect what audiences are saying to the BBC and will cover the issues that affect them.
Scotcast, the news and current affairs podcast, will continue its series of interviews with the leaders of the larger parties which began last week.
Weekend flagship politics programme,The Sunday Show, which is simulcast on television and radio, will be extended to an hour on BBC One Scotland. Presented by Gary Robertson the programme will focus on the big issues that matter to voters.
There’ll be extensive coverage for Gaelic audiences throughout the campaign on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal’s news programming, on BBC ALBA’s daily news programme show An Là, and online at bbc.co.uk/naidheachdan. On Friday 8 May, there’ll be continuous content on radio and online as the results come in.
Howard Simpson, Head of News and Current Affairs, BBC Scotland, said: ‘The range of programming and journalism we’re announcing today reflects our commitment to serving audiences across Scotland with trusted, high quality election coverage.
“Our principal aim is to be led by the issues that matter most to our audiences.
“The campaign coverage has a level of ambition, scale and geographical reach that will ensure the voting public are kept fully informed as they engage in the democratic process.
‘We’ve built a results service that’s fast, comprehensive, and accessible wherever people are. Our teams across the country will bring unrivalled reporting, sharp analysis and clear explanations as the picture develops.’
Pledge to Turn Wasted List Votes into Working Class Independence Voice at Holyrood
The Alliance to Liberate Scotland (ATLS) has hailed Thursday night’s packed Glasgow candidate launch at the Renfield Training and Conference Centre as “the moment Glasgow’s working class put Holyrood on notice that wasted list votes are no longer acceptable.”
Speaking to an overflowing audience, Glasgow Regional List lead candidate Tommy Sheridan argued that the old “SNP 1 & SNP 2” message has repeatedly failed to deliver additional independence representation for Glasgow on the regional list, and has instead handed list seats to Labour and the Conservatives in a city that votes Yes.
In Glasgow alone, around 245,000 SNP second votes (SNP2-Regional List Vote) across the last two Holyrood elections failed to elect a single SNP list MSP, while Labour and the Tories took all seven regional seats in our Yes city.
Sheridan pointed to the Scottish Parliament elections of 2016 and 2021, where the SNP swept all nine Glasgow constituency seats yet failed to secure a single additional regional list MSP in the city, despite topping the regional vote on both occasions.
In 2021, Glasgow’s regional list MSPs were returned as four Labour, two Conservative and one Green, but zero SNP list MSPs, even though the SNP won the largest share of the list vote.
Tommy Sheridan said: “The facts are crystal clear. In Glasgow, in both 2016 and 2021, tens of thousands of SNP list votes did not elect a single additional pro-independence MSP. Those ‘SNP 2’ votes were effectively wasted, while Labour and Tory unionists walked into Holyrood from the Glasgow list. That cannot be allowed to happen again in a Yes city.
The Alliance to Liberate Scotland exists to give Glasgow’s working class a hard, effective independence vote on the list. A list vote for ATLS is not a gesture – it is the serious business of putting more pro-independence fighters into parliament and cutting the number of unionist MSPs sent from this city.”
Independent analysis of past elections has repeatedly highlighted how large blocks of list votes for parties already dominant in the constituencies can fail to translate into list seats under Scotland’s Additional Member System, particularly in regions such as Glasgow, where one party already holds most or all constituency seats.
Second-placed Glasgow list candidate Dhruva Kumar, who chaired the event, said the campaign would speak directly to working-class voters across all of Glasgow’s communities:
Dhruva Kumar said: “Last night showed that Glasgow’s working people – old and new, from every background – are hungry for a serious, disciplined independence strategy.
“This campaign is about unity and action. When people give their list vote to the Alliance, they are turning frustration into seats, anger into votes, and hope into hard numbers for independence at Holyrood. Glasgow’s working class built this city, now we intend to help them win the power to shape its future.”
Glasgow list candidate Gail Sheridan stressed that ATLS offers determined, grassroots-rooted representation rather than careerist politics. She said: “I’ve stood with Tommy through every major battle for justice and independence in this city.
What we heard from the floor last night was clear: people are tired of politicians who talk about independence but park it the day after the election.
The Alliance to Liberate Scotland is different. We are rooted in working-class Glasgow, we are organised, and we are ready to fight tooth and nail in Holyrood for decent wages, warm homes and real self-determination. A list vote for ATLS is an independence vote that counts.”
Glasgow list candidate Hilda McMahon drew a direct line from Glasgow’s radical history to the new Alliance campaign. She said: “Glasgow has never begged for change; it has organised for it.
“From Mary Barbour to Jimmy Reid and John Maclean, our city’s heroes understood that real power comes when working people stand together. The Alliance to Liberate Scotland is carrying that flame into the 2026 Holyrood election.
“We are deadly serious about increasing the number of pro-independence MSPs and finally delivering the self-determination that the people of Scotland demand.”
The Alliance to Liberate Scotland insists that, in the 2026 Holyrood election, a Glasgow Regional List vote for ATLS is the most effective way for independence supporters in the city to turn previously wasted list votes into additional pro-independence MSPs, strengthening the voice of Glasgow’s working class at the heart of Scotland’s democracy.
To coincide with Reform UK’s Scottish conference on Thursday 19 March activists from Edinburgh Climate Coalition (ECC) are launching a campaign today warning voters across Scotland that voting Reform UK in the Scottish Parliament Election could threaten jobs, increase energy bills and undermine Scotland’s renewable energy future.
The campaign will include social media activism, street campaigning and community outreach across Edinburgh and the Lothians, with volunteers speaking directly to residents about how climate policy affects everyday issues such as employment, energy costs and public services.
The ECC wants to ensure that everyone is aware that Reform UK’s policies that undermine climate action will make the lives of people in Scotland worse.
The coalition argues that Scotland’s renewable energy sector has the potential to deliver long-term economic benefits while helping to tackle climate change.
We’ve created high-quality resources to sound the alarm—and we need your help to spread the word.
More MSPs than ever before vote to give terminally ill people choice – but falling short of majority
57 MSPs voted in support of Liam McArthur MSP’s landmark assisted dying Bill last night, Tuesday 17th March, but unfortunately this was not enough for the Bill to proceed to an Act despite overwhelming public support for reform.
The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill proposed to make the choice of assisted dying legal for terminally ill, mentally competent adults, alongside excellent end-of-life care.
57 MSPs voted for the Bill to pass with 69 voting against and one abstaining.
This means that the significant harms caused by the current law remain unresolved. Currently, even with the best palliative care, 11 Scots a week suffer as they die. Every year across the UK, 650 terminally ill people take their own lives, while others make long and arduous journeys to Switzerland, all without any protections in place.
Ally Thomson, Director of Dignity in Dying Scotland, said: “I am so deeply sad that the dying people who want this choice have been dealt this blow. But for as long as dying Scots continue to suffer, this debate is not going away.
“There is now near universal recognition that the current law is harmful to dying people. Those who voted against the Bill have done nothing to stop people with terminal illness from choosing to end their lives.
“They have instead blocked the safeguards and protections this Bill would have established for those who are already making this choice. Theirs was a vote against safety and compassion, not for it.
“I know that so many people will join me in finding this outcome deeply disappointing, but it’s important to recognise that more MSPs than ever before voted to give dying people choice at the end of life. I want to thank each of them for their efforts to end the harmful status quo.
“I also wish to thank Liam McArthur MSP who has been an incredible advocate for dignity and choice at the end of life. He has led this debate with respect, compassion and integrity.
“At the last vote, in 2015, MSPs voted by a margin on greater than three to one against changing the law. Today saw a major shift in Parliamentary opinion that gives us real hope for the future. All the signs are there that, slowly but surely, the Scottish Parliament is catching up to public opinion on assisted dying.
“Thousands of people all over the country have been campaigning for this change, and that work will not stop. Today’s result only stiffens our resolve to keep fighting for a safer and more compassionate law.”
Norma Rivers, from Ayr, who is living with terminal blood cancer, said: “For people like me living with terminal illness, today’s result is incredibly difficult to hear. But knowing that Parliament came so close to changing the law gives me hope.
“I want to live for as long as possible, but I also want the reassurance that I will have dignity and choice at the end of my life. I hope and trust that MSPs will come back to this issue very soon.”
Emma Cooper, Convener of Friends at the End (FATE), said: “We are extremely disappointed to see that MSPs did not reflect the views of the people they represent in the Assisted Dying Bill (Scotland) today. The overwhelming majority of people in every single constituency across Scotland clearly communicated they wanted assisted dying.
“It is hard to understand given the testimony we heard today from terminally ill adults and their loved ones who have too often witnessed frankly horrible deaths.
“The debate has sadly been plagued by misinformation and fears overriding facts. This was not a choice between living or dying, it was simply a question of how. This is not an issue that is going to go away and the fact remains that the status quo lacks compassion.
“End-of-life decisions that hasten death already happen in the NHS every single day, and they do not take place within a transparent framework or with consistent safeguards. Scottish people are going to continue to suffer unnecessarily at the end of life
“Thank you to our partners and Liam McArthur.”
Right to Life: Major victory for the most vulnerable in our society
Liam McArthur’s assisted suicide Bill has been defeated in a major victory for opponents of the Bill by 69 votes to 57, settling the issue in Scotland for a generation after a two-year national debate, and likely striking a mortal blow to the assisted suicide Bill in Westminster.
After two years of debate, and the most intense scrutiny that the question of assisted suicide has ever received in Scotland, Holyrood, widely regarded as one of the world’s most socially and politically progressive legislatures, has come to the conclusion that introducing assisted suicide is unsafe and dangerous.
Ahead of the vote, the Deputy Political Editor of The Scotsman, David Bol, described the final vote on the Bill at Stage 3 tonight as “potentially the biggest decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament”, and this was echoed by other prominent political commentators.
The Bill was defeated at its decisive stage, with the leader of the SNP, Scottish First Minister John Swinney, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, and the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Russell Findlay, all uniting in their opposition to the proposals. They were joined by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and former First Ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf.
Polling shows public supportive of rejection of assisted suicide Bill
The defeat of Scotland’s assisted suicide Bill is consistent with polling published this week that showed the Scottish public had major concerns with legalising assisted suicide and the negative impact that it would have on the most vulnerable in Scotland.
Polling commissioned by women’s policy think tank, The Other Half, found that seven in 10 Scots were concerned that victims of domestic abuse could feel pressured into ending their lives if assisted dying is legalised.
After eating disorder campaigners warned that people with eating disorders would be eligible for assisted suicide under the Bill, the think tank published polling that found that only one in five Scots would support legislation that allowed patients with anorexia to end their lives by assisted suicide.
Polling commissioned by disability advocacy group Not Dead Yet UK revealed that 69% of Scottish adults agreed that the Scottish Parliament should prioritise improving access to care for people with disabilities before an assisted suicide Bill would be introduced. Only 18% of Scots disagreed.
For respondents who had a disability, the percentage who agreed that access to care should be improved before an assisted suicide Bill is made law rose to 72%.
Dozens of major medical bodies and organisations came out against the Bill
Dozens of major medical bodies and organisations representing the most vulnerable in Scottish society have come out in opposition to the Bill.
They have been joined by groups representing tens of thousands of people in Scotland including, a coalition of major disability groups, such as Inclusion Scotland, Disability Equality Scotland, Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living, Glasgow Disability Alliance, Our Duty of Care, People First, Self Directed Support Scotland, Disabled People Against Cuts, Group for Autism, Insurance, Investment and Neurodiversity, LegaCare, We Thrive and Down’s Syndrome Research Foundation, who have all come out in opposition to the Bill.
Renewed focus on palliative care
Having settled this debate, MSPs must now unite to focus on renewed efforts to promote and improve palliative care.
A large number of MSPs from across the political spectrum came together to give powerful speeches against the Bill during today’s debate. They made it clear that this dangerous and extreme change to our laws would have put the vulnerable at risk and seen the ending of many vulnerable lives through assisted suicide.
Tonight’s result represents a major headache for Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill in Westminster.
Moreover, to legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales when it has been rejected in Scotland, where the issue is devolved, would create constitutional and practical challenges.
Among the potential consequences are the uncertainty faced by Scottish students who spend half the year studying at universities in England, and the complications for residents who divide their time between a primary home in Scotland and a second property south of the border.
Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, Chief Executive of Right To Life UK, a charity that opposes the introduction of assisted suicide and euthanasia, and campaigns instead for greater investment in palliative care, said: “This is a great victory for the most vulnerable in our society.
“They deserve protection and care, not a pathway to suicide. If this legislation had passed, countless vulnerable people would have been pressured or coerced into ending their lives.
“A large number of MSPs from across the political spectrum came together today to recognise the dangers this Bill posed and have rightly rejected it.
“The question of assisted suicide has dominated the five-year term of the current Scottish Parliament. The issue is now settled for a generation.
“But as this debate ends, today marks the beginning of a new conversation. It is vital that after the Holyrood elections in May, MSPs come together to redouble their efforts to invest in universal access to high-quality palliative care.
“Holyrood has today sent a decisive message to Westminster by rejecting assisted suicide. The Westminster Bill is already on life support as Peers continue to address its multiple flaws and unanswered questions.
“Rather than ploughing on with their dangerous Bill, the Bill sponsors in Westminster must now follow Scotland’s example and accept that assisted suicide is not the answer. It cannot be introduced safely”.
The result of the Stage 3 vote on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is:
Yes – 57
No – 69
Abstain – 1
The Bill therefore falls.
Campaign group Dignity in Dying said late last night: “Moments ago, the Scottish Parliament voted against Liam McArthur MSP’s assisted dying Bill, by 69 to 57 with one abstention.
“This means that the Bill will fall and we will have to keep fighting for law change in Scotland.
“We pay tribute to Liam McArthur MSP for acting with integrity and determination, and to the thousands of supporters who have been fighting hard for choice, especially the many terminally ill people and their loved ones who have spoken courageously about their experiences.
“The fight is not over. Thousands of people all over the country have been campaigning for this change, and that work will not stop. Today’s result only hardens our resolve to keep fighting for a safer and more compassionate law.”
Ash Regan MSP said: “The Assisted Dying Bill has fallen – but this debate must leave a legacy from session 6. We urgently need fully funded, high-quality palliative care for everyone, when they need it.
“We must ensure that those with disabilities are supported with necessary accommodations to fully access public life and be secure at home. Invest in research. Listen to experts.
“Free votes strengthen Parliament. And once again, the limits of devolution for legislation that straddles devolved and reserved matters are laid bare. We must learn and do better for the people of Scotland.”
Foysol Choudhury said: “Yesterday in Parliament, I voted against the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.
“The issue of assisted dying raises a lot of emotions and as you can imagine, this was a very difficult decision to make.
“I would like to express my sympathy to Liam McArthur MSP who I know worked tirelessly and with great determination on this proposed Bill.
“Thank you to the many hundreds of constituents who have written to me over the years regarding this Bill, and who have shared their thoughts, concerns and personal experiences.
“Since my election in 2021, I have engaged extensively with many of you, as well as with organisations, doctors, nurses, lawyers, pharmacists, academics, on this important issue.
“While I have carefully listened to all sides of the debate, I ultimately voted against the Bill due to my serious concerns about safeguards and undue pressure on terminally ill people to end their lives as to not burden their families.
“The risk of coercion – particularly for vulnerable groups, including disabled people – is extremely difficult to detect. Many constituents and disability organisations have highlighted fears that the Bill could unintentionally devalue their lives.
“At Stage 3, I remained unconvinced that the Bill could fully guarantee protection against these risks. In my view, it still contains significant flaws and weaknesses.
“I strongly believe we must prioritise a robust healthcare system that delivers world-class, compassionate, and accessible palliative care for all.
“I do not believe that the answer to suffering lies in prematurely ending life. Every life has inherent value, and we must show our future generations that life is precious, must be protected and cared for in the best way possible.”
SOLD OUT
Hi Drylaw, Telford and Edinburgh Northern Constituents,
