This week, MPs and MSPs could take big steps towards passing legislation to pass assisted dying.

In Westminster, the first of three days discussing amendments to Kim Leadbetter’s Private Members Bill takes place on Friday.

In Holyrood, Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur presents his Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. This is the next step in a process which has been going on for nearly 4 years. You can see all the various stages here.  Prior to that, there was extensive consultation from the end of 2021. 

Personally, I have long supported assisted dying. I think it is so important to give people the choice, when they have a terminal diagnosis, of choosing when they end their life to spare themselves and loved ones from trauma. Not everyone will choose it. I’m not sure I would. I think it should be on offer.

I know that others in the Lib Dem Voice team and beyond have a different view and I completely understand where they are coming from. Disabled people already feel incredibly undervalued and  disrespected in our society and many of them see any assisted dying legislation, even though it only applies to people who do not have a diagnosis of death in the near future, as a cultural change that could, at some point in the future, threaten them. While I hope that the legislation passes, I feel horrified that our society sucks to the extent that any group of people feel like that. We need to do so much more to make sure that disabled people are included in every aspect of our life and that we give serious attention to ensuring that they feel supported to live their lives to the full. In my view, these are two different issues.

Speaking on today’s Sunday Show, Liam said that he felt that there had been a shift in MSPs’ opinions on this in the years since this was last debated and that they are more in line with the public, who support this measure very strongly.

He added that many colleagues come to this from a personal experience of a bad death of a friend or family member, but others are looking at the changes in other countries round the world where similar proposals have been implemented safely, successfully, with strong public support and the confidence of medical professionals.

He believes the vote will be tight, but we will see Parliament at its best.

He went on to explain how the measures he hopes to bring into law. You would have to have an advanced, progressive, terminal condition in order to be eligible and the capacity to take the decision. You would need the diagnosis to be made by two doctors independently, who would have to make the individual aware of all the options available to them to ensure informed consent. There is a wait period of 14 days between application and provision of medication which would be self administered. There would be no requirement for this to happen immediately after that 14 days. We see across other jurisdictions that about a third of people who apply and are found eligible don’t take up the choice of an assisted death.

He expressed confidence that we could implement a system that could be implemented safely and meets the needs of dying Scots who are currently being let down.

He pointed out that in Australia and New Zealand there had been no expansion of the eligibility criteria since their legislation was introduced and that their system worked well.

There is no better or reasonable person than Liam to lead this debate. He has done it with thoughtfulness, consideration and huge respect to people who have a different view. Whatever happens to the Bill, and I think it does have a good chance of getting through this time, the party, and the country should be really grateful to him and proud of him.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings