Why assisted dying vote showed Scottish Parliament at its best

The National

14-05-2025

Green MSP Gillian Mackay told me earlier this month she felt one of the reasons people have begun to move towards radical right parties is because politicians are consistently using their platforms for soundbites at the likes of PMQs and FMQs, which has led people to not only lose trust in them, but also lose faith that mature, reasonable debate in our politics is still possible.
During the assisted dying debate at Holyrood on Tuesday – which saw Liam McArthur's bill pass at stage one by 70 votes to 56 – it was a relief to find that our politicians are clearly still capable of agreeing to disagree and listening to each other.
Even as MSPs intervened in each other's remarks during the lengthy discussion, it was respectful, and I did not hear a single jibe being thrown across the chamber during the whole five-hour debate.
The session showed the Scottish Parliament at its very best, with MSPs from all parties giving passionate yet balanced arguments explaining why they had come to the decision they had, while most of them paid tribute to McArthur's huge efforts to engage with everyone, no matter their views.
READ MORE: How did MSPs vote in the landmark assisted dying vote?
Social history expert Ewan Gibbs also highlighted how the usual divisions in the chamber seemed to vanish, as there was a mixture of opposition and support in all parties.
MSPs have a free vote on the issue, and it was perhaps surprising to see the likes of Conservative MSP Sandesh Gulhane – a practicing GP – arguing passionately for the legislation while SNP MSP Marie McNair argued she couldn't support it having worked in a hospice for 14 years.
Within the Scottish Government there were also splits, with Angus Robertson voting in favour, and Kate Forbes and John Swinney voting against.
It was refreshing to see politicians taking up the opportunity to think with their conscience and not be afraid to disagree with their peers.
(Image: Andrew Milligan)
Whether the legislation will pass at the final stage remains to be seen. A swing of just a few votes at stage three could see it fall and many MSPs in the room set out they still have some reservations about the bill.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, for example, wants to make sure 'enforceable protections' are in place for vulnerable patients who could be coerced into ending their own lives, but she believed in the principles of the legislation enough to vote for it at this stage.
But it cannot be understated that this is a significant moment for this Parliament which was only reconvened a quarter of a century ago, not only because assisted dying legislation has never got to this stage before, but because it proved that behind all the scraps and insults we see every week, humanity appears to still be alive at Holyrood.
If parties really want to come together to stand up to the far right – with Reform inevitably on their way to Holyrood next year – many will believe it is now incumbent upon MSPs to keep this level of debate going and show what can be achieved with it.