• Bank of England: Ministers need to set out steps to Trump-proof economy
• McArthur urges MPs to back assisted dying bill
• McArthur expresses delight as UK Parliament backs Assisted Dying bill

Bank of England: Ministers need to set out steps to Trump-proof economy

Responding to the Bank of England’s fiscal stability report which warned of the potential impact of the impending Donald Trump Presidency on the economy, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

After years of Conservative economic vandalism our economy has seen sluggish growth and people have been hammered by spiralling mortgage rates.

The incoming Trump administration could cause yet more damage and the new government needs to urgently act to prepare our economy to prevent this.

Ministers need to set out the steps they are taking to Trump-proof our economy and ensure that people will not be hit with another round of financial hardship.

McArthur urges MPs to back assisted dying bill

Speaking ahead of the debate and vote on Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill in the UK Parliament, Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur has urged MPs to back the bill in the first debate and vote on end-of-life choices in the UK Parliament since 2015.

Mr McArthur’s own Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is currently undergoing scrutiny from the Scottish Parliament’s health committee.

Mr McArthur said:

Our current laws on assisted dying are failing too many terminally ill people, often leaving them facing an undignified and sometimes painful death despite the very best efforts of palliative care. It is clear that new compassionate and safeguarded laws are required across the UK.

I know that there are many parliamentarians who are unsure about whether they would personally take the choice of an assisted death should the law change. I would urge them to consider, however, whether it is right that they deny that choice to others who might find themselves facing the prospect of a difficult, undignified and possibly painful death.

Polling shows that an overwhelming majority of the public want to see the law changed for people who are terminally ill and have the mental capacity to make that choice. More important though is to listen to the personal stories of those with a terminal condition and the families who have seen loved ones die in pain or distress and beyond the reach of palliative care.

Kim Leadbeater has been an eloquent and determined champion for dying people seeking choice at the end of life and regardless of the result, she deserves praise for the manner in which she has led this debate.

I hope tomorrow that MPs will vote to give people who are terminally ill that compassionate option.

McArthur expresses delight as UK Parliament backs Assisted Dying bill

Speaking after MPs voted in favour of Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill in the UK Parliament this afternoon, Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur said:

I am delighted to see Kim Leadbeater’s bill pass its first parliamentary hurdle. This debate has shown the UK Parliament at its best with thoughtful contributions from across the House and a vote which shows a clear recognition that the present blanket ban on assisted dying does not work and that more choice, alongside excellent palliative care, is what dying people need.

I would like to extend my personal congratulations to Kim Leadbeater who has led this debate with respect, compassion and integrity.

It is important to note that this is not the end of the process. The bill will now get detailed consideration and everybody is going to have the opportunity to have their say.

However, it is clear that today’s vote reflects the wishes of the UK public, who overwhelmingly back a change in the law to offer choice and compassion.

I am confident that MSPs in the Scottish Parliament will do the same when they vote at Stage 1 on my Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.