On Tuesday 7 October, more than 60 SPUC supporters gathered at the Scottish Parliament for a mass lobby of MSPs, voicing their strong opposition to Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. The controversial legislation, which would legalise assisted suicide in Scotland, passed its Stage One vote in May by 70 votes to 56.
Supporters travelled from across the country to make their voices heard at Holyrood. Margaret Akers, from SPUC’s Public Policy team, was on hand to brief attendees and provide guidance before they entered the Parliament to meet with their MSPs.
However, the response from parliamentarians was disappointing. Mrs Akers commented:
“We found that MSPs or staff representatives were not willing to come down, and there appeared to be a number of barriers to constituents arranging meetings or contact with their MSPs.”
Despite these challenges, SPUC supporters showed determination and initiative. Many immediately picked up their phones and called their MSPs directly from the Parliament foyer to make their concerns known about the dangers of normalising state-sanctioned suicide.
Encouragingly, the vote remains close; just seven MSPs would need to change their stance at Stage Two for the Bill to be defeated. SPUC’s Executive Director, Michael Robinson, reminded supporters that there is still time to turn the tide:
“The important thing to remember with assisted suicide legislation in Holyrood is that we do still have time to defeat this.”
Mr Robinson expressed SPUC’s gratitude to those who travelled to Edinburgh to stand for life and uphold the dignity of vulnerable people:
“Whilst some of our political representatives have shown an unwillingness to engage on this hot-button issue, you, our supporters, have demonstrated that you will not simply watch from the sidelines as Scotland’s politicians try to enforce a deadly suicide regime on their people. Keep persevering; this battle is far from over.”
SPUC will continue to work with supporters and allies across Scotland to ensure that the right to life, not the right to die, remains the cornerstone of Scottish law.
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