Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross explains voting against Assisted Dying Bill in Scottish Parliament
Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross voted against the Assisted Dying Bill in the Scottish Parliament.
The former Moray MP described the vote as “one of the most difficult” that he has had to consider in his political career.
The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill was brought forward by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur and debated in Holyrood yesterday (Tuesday, May 13).
It passed stage one, winning by 70 votes to 56, but will have to progress through several amendment stages before becoming an Act.
The bill would allow terminally ill adults in Scotland to lawfully request, and be provided with, assistance by health professionals to end their own life.
MORE: SNP MSP Richard Lochhead votes in favour of Assisted Dying Bill
Douglas Ross has long held the view that assisted dying is wrong, but said in his speech during the debate that he “could not fail to be moved” by the stories from constituents who have witnessed loved ones dying in pain and constituents who are terminally ill themselves.
He said: “Despite having a long-held view that legalising assisted dying would be the wrong thing to do, this was still one of the most difficult votes I have ever had to consider in Parliament.
“Like other MSPs, I have had a huge amount of correspondence on this issue from both sides. I could not fail to be moved by constituents who told me stories about watching their loved ones suffer in pain or constituents who told me about suffering with their own illnesses.
“Not one MSP will have pleased every constituent with how they voted but I hope people in Moray and the Highlands and Islands know I considered this issue deeply and personally.
“I used my speech to highlight some of the significant concerns I have with the bill as proposed. In particular I share the concerns of disabled constituents who feel the bill could leave them vulnerable and under more pressure to choose between life and death.
“I am worried that this bill could just be the start and that if passed the process could soon become far more expansive than has been put to Parliament in the original bill.
“I respect the outcome of this vote and it is now incumbent on all MSPs to work on the next stages of the bill and see if issues can be addressed and safeguards strengthened.
"After that MSPs will have to decide not just to have more debate on the issue as we did with this vote, but to ultimately determine if assisted dying should become law in Scotland or not."
