Euthanasia legislation likely

Sir, – It is perhaps understandable that proponents of killing seek euphemisms for their campaigns.

Their latest, “assisted dying”, implies that it is assistance for the dying – but palliative care is uncontroversial.

Causing death, however, is a completely different matter.

The arguments for and against will no doubt be rehearsed as the euthanasia campaign relaunches.

However, on our current trajectory, it is possible to predict that it will indeed eventually be passed by the Scottish Parliament.

Of the five parties represented, two support some form of euthanasia or assisted suicide (the Greens and Liberal Democrats). Meanwhile, three are neutral.

Nicola Sturgeon and Ruth Davidson have both voted against it, but their public statements on the matter have seemed to deliberately leave the door open for a future change of heart.

Does anyone seriously expect our current crop of MSPs to do anything other than drift in the so-called “progressive” direction?

When Labour, the SNP and Conservatives declare such issues to be a “matter of conscience” for their MSPs, they seek to exclude the electorate from the decision making process and thereby confine party political debate to more comfortable territory. Richard Lucas. Leader of the Scottish Family Party,

272 Bath Street, Glasgow.