New assisted dying bill reopens debate

ANEW bill to legalise assisted dying was lodged at the Scottish Parliament yesterday, reopening the debate on the issue. So what did the opinion pages say about the latest move to introduce the right to an assisted death for terminally ill, mentally competent adults?

The Scotsman

In its leader, The Scotsman argued that assisted dying is a debate that needs to be had.

The newspaper stated: “It is an incredibly sensitive and polarising debate, but one which demands parliamentary time again.”

It said that while most Scots support the introduction of such legislation, “there will, however, continue to be valid and strong opposition to the move, as well as real fears over the safeguards, ethical concerns, and impact on medical professionals”.

The publication added: “Holyrood rejected previous bids to introduce assisted suicide in 2010 and 2015. Whether the mood has changed sufficiently to enable a third attempt to be successful remains to be seen, but it is a debate which needs to be had.”

The Times

Magnus Linklater argued in The Times that now is not the time for such a bill and described the move as insensitive.

He wrote: “It is hard to imagine a worse time to introduce a bill to legalise assisted dying. Families are coping with agonising Covid deaths. They have watched – often at a distance – their nearest and dearest struggling to survive a disease that deprives them of the ability to breathe. All too often, the battle has been lost.

“More than 10,000 have died in Scotland with confirmed or suspected coronavirus, since the pandemic hit last year. By their bedside, in those last days, devoted NHS staff have used every medical aid to prolong life. Often the last face a dying patient saw was that of a nurse or doctor. The idea of promoting a law to make dying easier at this time of all times, is, to put it mildly, insensitive.”

Daily Mail

Liam Mcarthur, the Lib Dem MSP behind the Bill, wrote in the Daily Mail that he believes that “dying Scots should be able to access safe and compassionate assisted dying, rather than endure a prolonged and painful death”.

He added: “The current blanket ban on such assistance is unjust and causes needless suffering for so many dying people and their families across Scotland. If you are terminally ill and facing a bad death, then the choices you have are to find £10,000 and attempt to go to Switzerland.

“You could look at ways to end your own life when things become unbearable – you could stop eating and drinking and starve to death or you could continue to suffer.

“That is why I am bringing forward a Bill in the Scottish parliament to make sure that dying people have access to the range of choices they need to have a good death.”