Policy Research Media Morhamburn

This week’s biggest talking point surely has to be the introduction of the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill by Independent MSP Margo MacDonald. The Bill, to legalise assisted suicide, has sparked debate, attracted controversy and is undoubtedly a sensitive issue. The Bill states that a person who is terminally ill or physically disabled to the extent that they cannot lead an independent life has the right to make a formal request for assistance to end their life. 

Critics of the Bill argue of a person’s ‘right to life’ and the immoral route such a piece of legislation would take the country down. Supporters, on the other hand, suggest that this is a way of allowing a person to exert a degree of control over their life when so much has been robbed from them.

Personally, I support this Bill. It is also encouraging to note that MSPs are expected to be allowed to vote based on their conscience. This is an issue that transcends political ideology.  It is also an issue that provokes national discussion, so why not hold a referendum on the topic?  My biggest fear is the influence outside actors could have on MSPs’ voting intentions. Already, the Catholic Church has stated that it will challenge in court any decision that legalises this Bill. So to curtail this potential imbalance of influence, give the public a vote on the subject. Let those who disagree say so with their vote and those who it will affect be heard.

I appreciate opponents’ views, and they are fully entitled to their opinions. What I cannot understand is their apparent failure to acknowledge that this is a matter of personal choice.  Choosing to take one’s own life is not a decision to be taken lightly and, as Margo MacDonald has argued, dying is a part of life so who is the state, the Church, or anyone else to impose restrictions as to when or how your life should end?

Last year, Liberal Democrat MSP Jeremy Purvis put forward a similar Bill which failed to receive sufficient support. It could be argued that it was only Ms MacDonald who could bring such a bill to the fore in Scotland. As a Parkinson’s sufferer, Ms MacDonald has perhaps made the case for assisted dying more ‘real’ for MSPs and ensured that the subject can no longer be dismissed.  Ms MacDonald’s Bill also highlights the important role independent politicians play at Holyrood. With a minority government in power, no party is willing to tolerate a member breaking rank, therefore bills such as the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill are rarely proposed and votes tend to be cast along party lines. 

I sincerely hope that Ms MacDonald wins the debate. It is aimed at giving people the power of choice and protection to those that assist them. It is aimed at giving people a choice and a sense of autonomy over how they die – when so much else would appear to have been taken from them.

[The views expressed by Morhamburn people in their blogs are theirs and theirs alone. they do not represent the thoughts of the company as a whole or our clients. If you have a comment to make on any blog, please email info@morhamburn.com and we’ll put the printable ones up on the website]