Scottish assisted dying bill passes first vote

A measure to legalise assisted dying successful Scotland has passed an archetypal ballot astatine Holyrood.

The proposals would let terminally-ill, mentally competent adults to question aesculapian assistance to extremity their lives.

A ballot connected the bill's wide principles passed by 70 votes to 56.

It would request to wide 2 much phases of parliamentary scrutiny earlier it could go law.

The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill would let radical to petition aesculapian assistance to extremity their ain beingness – but lone if they had a terminal unwellness and had been ruled mentally acceptable to marque the determination by 2 doctors.

During a highly affectional but measured debate, MSPs cited almighty grounds from household members and constituents.

Supporters described the measure arsenic a progressive determination to easiness the suffering of dying Scots.

However opponents raised concerns astir safeguards for immoderate of the astir susceptible radical successful society.

Brought guardant by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, the measure was the 3rd projected assisted dying instrumentality to beryllium voted connected astatine Holyrood since 2010. The 2 erstwhile bills failed to walk signifier one.

McArthur told BBC Scotland News helium was "delighted" and "relieved" but said determination was inactive much enactment to beryllium done.

It comes aft a measure to legalise assisted dying successful England and Wales passed a signifier 1 vote astatine Westminster successful November.

Opening the debate, an affectional McArthur told MSPs: "Today we tin instrumentality a important measurement guardant giving terminally sick adults crossed Scotland much choice.

"It's a brave step, yes, but it's a compassionate one.

"And it is simply a measurement I judge Scotland is acceptable to take."

The proposals were supported by Conservative person Russell Findlay and Lib Dem person Alex Cole-Hamilton, arsenic good arsenic Scottish Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater.

Another supporter, SNP MSP Elena Whitham, told parliament astir her mother, Irene, who died aged 58 conscionable 5 weeks aft being diagnosed with terminal crab successful 2014.

"Her past determination connected this world was to starve herself to hasten her inevitable death," Whitham said. "It was awful."

She added: "My mum deserved to program a compassionate death.

"No-one should beryllium forced to starve themselves."

The parliament held a escaped ballot connected the measure – meaning MSPs were not told however to ballot by their parties oregon the government.

The Scottish authorities is officially neutral connected the matter. Health Secretary Neil Gray, who spoke connected behalf of the authorities during the debate, abstained from the vote.

Voicing their idiosyncratic opinions, First Minister John Swinney and Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes person spoken retired against the bill, arsenic has Scottish Labour person Anas Sarwar.

Following the vote, Swinney said the measure had been debated with "dignity, courtesy and respect".

He added that "significant issues" astir the proposals would beryllium raised astatine the adjacent signifier of parliamentary scrutiny.

Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy, the archetypal imperishable wheelchair idiosyncratic to beryllium elected to Holyrood, has been among the astir vocal critics of the bill.

She told BBC Scotland News she was "heartbroken" by the vote.

During the debate, Duncan-Glancy told parliament she was "deeply worried" astir the consequences of legalising assisted dying, which she said could enactment disabled radical astatine risk.

The Glasgow MSP said she feared it could go "easier to entree assistance to dice than assistance to live".

She warned the measure could "legitimise a presumption that a beingness similar ours, 1 of dependence and often pain, is not worthy living".

Others opposed to assisted dying, including erstwhile archetypal minster Nicola Sturgeon, person raised concerns astir the imaginable for "coercion" and warned the explanation of a terminal unwellness was excessively broad.

Ex-Tory person Douglas Ross echoed concerns that the authorities would pb to a alleged slippery slope, fearing that entree to assisted dying would widen implicit time.

McArthur insisted the measure would enforce "strict eligibility criteria" and that fears of a "slippery slope" had been raised successful countries wherever assisted dying had since been successfully introduced.

Responding to concerns astir disabled people, helium said: "Denying dying Scots much prime volition not heighten the lives of those with a disability.

"Nor bash I judge would it beryllium acceptable for a idiosyncratic with a disablement who meets the eligibility criteria nether my measure to beryllium denied the aforesaid prime arsenic anyone else."

In the assisted dying measure making its mode done Westminster, a terminally sick idiosyncratic is defined arsenic idiosyncratic who has little than six months to live.

The Scottish bill, meanwhile, does not person a beingness expectancy timescale. It alternatively refers to an precocious and progressive illness that is expected to origin premature death.

McArthur acknowledged concerns astir the definition, but said helium does not judge it should see beingness expectancy, citing proposal from aesculapian experts.

MSPs volition beryllium capable to further scrutinise the measure astatine signifier two, wherever they tin besides suggest changes.

Another ballot connected the last draught of the measure would request to beryllium held earlier it could go legislation.

Humanist Society main enforcement Fraser Sutherland welcomed "a large measurement guardant towards prime and compassion astatine the extremity of beingness successful Scotland".

Ally Thomson, manager of Dignity successful Dying Scotland, called the ballot a "watershed infinitesimal for compassion".

But Dr Gordon Macdonald, main enforcement of Care Not Killing, said determination remained "massive opposition" to the bill.

Stuart Weir, caput of Christian foundation CARE for Scotland, said the organisation was "deeply saddened" by the news, adding: "Our thoughts are with disabled Scots and galore others who volition beryllium feeling large anxiety."

The astir caller Holyrood ballot connected assisted dying, successful 2015, was defeated astatine signifier 1 by 82 votes to 36.

That measure was tabled by the precocious autarkic MSP Margo MacDonald, who died successful 2014 aft being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

It was a passionate and respectful statement with profoundly idiosyncratic experiences informing the arguments for and against.

Holyrood has rejected assisted dying connected 2 erstwhile occasions, astir precocious successful 2015, but astatine this 3rd clip of asking MSPs person fixed their support successful principle.

Those promoting the authorities were pleasantly amazed to observe that enactment for the measure was adjacent stronger than they had anticipated.

It is worthy noting that a fig of those who backed the measure inactive person heavy reservations and privation to spot that their concerns tin beryllium addressed successful the adjacent signifier of debate.

There are apt to beryllium important changes to Liam McArthur's existent proposals earlier a last ballot successful the coming months.

This is not the past connection connected this contented and campaigners connected some sides inactive person overmuch enactment to bash to signifier sentiment connected whether terminally sick patients should beryllium capable to question aesculapian assistance to extremity their lives.