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Sturgeon 'veering against' Bill to legalise assisted dying in Scotland
Nicola Sturgeon has said she is “veering against” a Holyrood Bill to legalise assisted dying in Scotland, warning that it could be the “thin end of the wedge”.
The former first minister said she had expected to be “swaying in favour” of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, which was published last week by Liam McArthur, a Liberal Democrat MSP.
Ms Sturgeon said that the “more deeply” she had considered the ramifications of the legislation, the more likely she was to oppose it when MSPs debate it in the autumn.
The Glasgow Southside MSP said it would be “impossible to guarantee” that some terminally ill people near the ends of their lives would not feel “a sense that it might be better for others for them not to be here”.
Arguing that the Bill could be the “thin end of the wedge”, she said “dignity at the end of life” could become associated with “choosing to die, rather than being supported to live in as much peace and comfort as possible”.
She added: “I worry that, over time, this shift in collective mindset will see the tightly drawn provisions of this Bill extended much further.”
