Meeting of the Parliament 17 March 2026 [Draft]
This will be my final speech in this place before stepping down next week after 10 years. It is a short speech and, of course, it is not political. However, that is okay, because what we are debating is not about me. The debate and the days that we spent agreeing to amendments last week are for terminally ill people who are pleading with us to be given the choice to die a dignified, pain-free death of their choosing.
I respect those members who do not share my views on the bill. I do not agree with their views, but they have a right to hold them. They have the choice to vote for or against the bill. That is the point. We, in this Parliament, have a choice. Terminally ill people who are terrified of what they might face at the end of their lives do not. Who are we to deny them that choice and to put our values and preferences before theirs because we have the power to do so?
If the bill is passed tonight—and I hope with all my heart that it will be—it will be the most heavily safeguarded bill in any jurisdiction. The respectful and collegiate way in which Liam McArthur and his hard-working team have brought the bill to this final stage is to be commended. No one has worked harder, and, after last week, no bill in any jurisdiction in the world with assisted dying will be more heavily safeguarded.
The bill has always been about creating a compassionate, regulated, safe and legal option for terminally ill adults who choose to end their suffering. We know that many terminally ill Scots face a bad death and are forced to contemplate a series of desperate, traumatic decisions that do not belong in a compassionate 21st century Scotland. International evidence proves that assisted dying is safe and compassionate and that it is a comfort blanket for those who are able to choose whether or not to use it. What makes Scotland so uniquely different that it could not be the same here?
The most recent polling found that 81 per cent of people in Scotland want assisted dying to be introduced as an option for those who are diagnosed with a terminal illness. There is clear majority support for the bill across every constituency, so Scotland is not on the fence on assisted dying.
I said earlier that the bill is not about me or any other member at this time, so I want to give terminally ill people who have had all agency stripped from them by their illness a voice. One woman opened her heart and said:
“Assisted dying would be a lifeline. It would let us live the rest of our lives in peace, making precious final memories with our loved ones, without the constant dread of how our lives will end … Voting against this Bill will not stop us from dying, but will deny us a lifeline to a safe, peaceful death surrounded by our loved ones.”
Too many families are left traumatised by what they have witnessed at the end of a loved one’s life. Now is the opportunity to make things right for those who have died, so that no one has to suffer as they did. The status quo abandons people at the moment they most need compassion, safety and support. The most dangerous thing that the Parliament can do is nothing. In the name of humanity and for those who depend on us, I urge members to support the bill.