Ask your MSPs to oppose the McArthur assisted suicide Bill
Ask your MSPs to oppose the McArthur assisted suicide Bill
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MSPs are readying themselves to vote before the end of May on a Bill that would change the very fabric of society in Scotland by legalising assisted suicide.
The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is a Scotland-only assisted suicide Bill currently being considered by the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood. This is separate from the Bill currently progressing through Westminster that proposes legalising assisted suicide in England and Wales.
This Scottish Bill is even more extreme than the Bill at Westminster. It is vital that people in Scotland urgently contact their MSPs, asking them to vote against this assisted suicide Bill – even if they have already contacted their MP to oppose the Westminster legislation.
Liberal Democrat MSP, Liam McArthur, introduced this hugely controversial Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill on 27 March 2024. After being considered by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, the Bill will now be debated and voted on by MSPs. It is expected that this vote will take place in the next three weeks.
A group of experts in medicine, disability, sociology, law, and other fields have written to the First Minister, John Swinney, cautioning that “‘assisted dying’ is inherently unsafe and practically unworkable”. This comes at the same time as warnings from people with disabilities, many of whom are “absolutely terrified” at the prospect of the legalisation of assisted suicide.
The Bill itself defines terminal illness very loosely, using terms such as “advanced” and “progressive” from which they are “unable to recover”. There is no time limit given for prognosis, and Liam McArthur’s Bill would also legalise assisted suicide for someone aged 16 years or over.
The Bill places a considerable burden on healthcare professionals to identify signs of domestic abuse or coercive control, despite inadequate training provided to do so. Experts have warned that risks of coercion are “underplayed significantly in cases of abuse of older people”, and in Oregon, where assisted suicide is legal, 46.6% of people who ended their lives by assisted suicide have cited being a “burden on family, friends/caregivers” as a motivating factor.
Legalising assisted suicide would have tragic consequences for many of the most vulnerable people in our communities. Particularly in the context of insufficient access to excellent end-of-life care for all Scots, it would be disastrous to prioritise legalising assisted suicide. Liam McArthur’s Bill is a disaster waiting to happen.
It is absolutely vital that all MSPs understand the strength of feeling and depth of concern that people have about this Bill. MSPs need to be made aware that there are large numbers of voters who do not want to see this extreme and unwarranted change to the law in Scotland.
You can play a key role and make a significant difference today by contacting your MSPs to ask them to vote against this Bill. A vote against the Bill – or even a decision to abstain – gives the Scottish Parliament the opportunity to have the real debate that is needed, which concerns how best to care for people in Scotland as they near the end of their lives. People in Scotland need support, not suicide.
Please enter your postcode in the box above to write to your MSPs and ask them to vote NO to the McArthur assisted suicide Bill.
