Calls to back campaign for legal assisted dying

MSPS are facing calls to back a public campaign for legalised assisted dying in Scotland, as a major consultation ended.

For the past few weeks, people have been having their say on proposals offering an alternative to fears of “prolonged and painful final days”.

While demand for a change appears to be growing, those who are opposed fear a change in the law would open up a “Pandora’s box” for marginalised groups.

At the end of the consultation yesterday Lib Dem MSP Liam Mcarthur said: “It is safe to say the level of response to this is unprecedented.”

This is not the first time Holyrood has looked at legalising assisted dying. A previous assisted dying bill was brought forward by the late independent MSP Margo Macdonald in 2010.

Ms Macdonald died of Parkinson’s disease in 2014 and co-leader of the Scottish Greens Patrick Harvie brought it back to parliament in 2015.

On both occasions Holyrood decided there were significant flaws in the bills and they were rejected.

However, Mr Mcarthur believes this will be third time lucky, and is appealing to his fellow MSPS to get behind his proposals.

He said: “I am not sure the public has shifted all that much, there has consistently been strong support to change the law for assisted dying for some time now.

“But in each instance this strong support has not been reflected in the views among MSPS.

“I suspect this time there will be a change in mind, and that is a reflection of the fact there have been two elections since the last parliament considered this proposal.”

He claimed the current blanket ban on assisted dying in Scotland is “unsustainable” as it leads to too many instances where someone is beyond the reach of palliative care.

Mr Mcarthur said: “This leaves them with the option of going to Switzerland weeks or months sooner than they maybe need to, or taking matters into their own hands by refusing food and liquids or by even more dramatic means.”

Despite Mr Mcarthur’s belief that there is “strong support” for legalised assisted dying in Scotland, there are groups campaigning to make sure the law stays as it is.

Better Way says legalising assisted dying drives attention away from care in the community and proper palliative care.

Dr Miro Griffiths, a Leverhulme research fellow in disability studies and a spokesman for the Better Way campaign, says it will also have a particularly adverse effect on disabled people.

He said: “I am not ignoring the prevalence of pain, distress and fear that can accompany health conditions, illnesses and impairments.

“I am arguing that we cannot pass legislation and policy measures based on a tiny number of individuals’ anecdotal experiences.”

He said disabled people’s human rights violations are real.

“Disabled people are denied opportunities to participate in their communities,” he said.

“Disabled people do not receive sufficient support to have a valued, respected role in society.

“If the assisted dying bill was not to pass these issues would still exist. If the assisted dying bill was to pass, these issues would likely be compounded, as would inequalities faced by other groups.

“I urge MSPS not to open the door to assisted suicide.

“Once this Pandora’s box is opened, it leads to serious and widespread harms affecting the most marginalised in society.”