Why I decided to vote against Scotland's Assisted Dying Bill

As an MSP, I am regularly confronted with challenging questions and ethical dilemmas, but of all the debates I take part in, few are as difficult and sensitive as the one on assisted dying.

Like other parliamentarians, ahead of the debate, my inbox was inundated with emails, from constituents, medical professionals, charities and other organisations who all felt passionately about why their stance was the right one.

Then there were the very personal stories of constituents that also stuck in my mind. Michelle Moffat, from Dumbarton, a former intensive care nurse at the Golden Jubilee, who booked an assisted suicide at a Dignitas Clinic but cancelled it. Now, some six years later, she is in a wheelchair but lives a full life surrounded by family and friends.

Or the emotional story of Julia from Cardross who experienced the trauma of her husband trying to commit suicide on a number of occasions before finally succeeding, because he couldn’t bear living any longer. Or the views of Jim Elder Woodward who is disabled and was concerned about the implications of the Assisted Dying Bill on disabled people.

READ MORE: The cases both for and against Scotland's Assisted Dying Bill

Protesters demonstrate against the Assisted Dying Bill outside the Scottish Parliament (Picture: Andrew Milligan) | PA

Concern about safeguards

The debate was a free vote, meaning I considered the choice not as a Scottish Labour health spokesperson but simply as a Dumbarton MSP and as a parliamentarian. As an MSP since 1999, I have had two opportunities to vote on similar bills before, and voted against.

However, those bills were wide in scope compared to Liam McArthur’s, and I wanted to give his proposal fresh consideration. I understood the point about people wanting choice, wanting dignity and agency in their death.

But I also worried about the safeguards. I did not want anyone to be coerced into taking their own life, or feeling a misplaced sense of duty to end their life prematurely.

READ MORE: MSPs must consider psychological effects of assisted dying law on doctors

Furthermore, I worried that the medical profession was divided, and it remained unclear to me what the practical implications for the NHS would be. For example, would medical professionals be able to opt out?

Would those who administered end-of-life medication receive proper training? And what planning has the Scottish Government done about the nature of the service and the responsibility of staff?

Good palliative care for all

Finally, the debate has reignited discussion around palliative care, a sector that has suffered from cuts and is still yet to see the details of the Scottish Government’s Palliative Care Strategy, promised four years ago but not delivered.

The debate is often framed as one of choice, but the reality is, in Scotland of 2025, we are not really giving people the choice of good palliative care. The Association for Palliative Care has said we need equity before expansion.

After giving all the information careful consideration, I decided I could not support the bill in its current form. I realise that this decision will have disappointed some of those who wrote to me, while being welcomed by others.

But I hope they will understand that I have thought carefully for many months about this, and I voted based on my understanding of the benefits and risks. And it certainly does not mean I am not willing to engage with the important issues that this debate has brought up.

Jackie Baillie is MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader and her party’s spokesperson for health