MSPs to vote on assisted dying in Scotland

For the 3rd clip successful Scottish parliamentary history, MSPs are to ballot connected plans to legalise assisted dying.

The ballot, which would let terminally-ill adults to question aesculapian assistance to extremity their lives, comes aft MPs voted successful favour of akin proposals for England and Wales.

Supporters picture the Holyrood measure arsenic a progressive determination to easiness the suffering of dying Scots.

Opponents accidental it would neglect to safeguard immoderate of the astir susceptible radical successful society.

The projected authorities would let a diligent to petition aesculapian assistance to extremity their beingness - but lone if they had a terminal unwellness and had been ruled mentally acceptable to marque the determination by 2 doctors.

Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, who tabled the bill, recently said the minimum property of radical who could question an assisted decease would emergence from 16 to 18.

The Scottish Parliament volition clasp a escaped ballot connected the measure - which means MSPs volition not beryllium instructed connected however to ballot by their parties oregon the government.

The signifier 1 ballot is connected the wide principles of the bill.

A elemental bulk of votes successful favour (more "yes" votes than "no" votes) would let it to advancement to signifier two, wherever MSPs could suggest changes.

Another ballot connected the last draught of the measure would beryllium held earlier it could go legislation.

If MSPs bash not backmost the measure astatine signifier one, it volition fall.

The ballot, which volition travel a statement successful the chamber, is expected to beryllium close.

Dozens of MSPs person declared enactment oregon absorption to the bill, though galore others are thought to beryllium waiting to perceive arguments successful parliament earlier making up their mind.

The Scottish authorities is officially neutral connected the matter.

First Minister John Swinney and Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, however, person said they volition not enactment the bill.

Former archetypal ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf are besides opposed, arsenic is Scottish Labour person Anas Sarwar.

In a station connected Instagram, Sturgeon warned of the imaginable for "internal coercion", which she described arsenic "a feeling connected the portion of terminally-ill individuals that others mightiness beryllium amended disconnected if they were nary longer here".

She besides raised concerns astir trying to specify terminal unwellness successful legislation.

Sturgeon added: "If assisted dying is an option, I interest that galore radical volition take to dice much prematurely than they request to."

Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy, the archetypal imperishable wheelchair idiosyncratic to beryllium elected to Holyrood, has been among the astir vocal critics of the bill.

Speaking connected the eve of the vote, McArthur said the authorities had "strict eligibility criteria" with radical capable to marque a prime "in a mode that is robustly safeguarded".

The Orkney MSP said: "My measure would enactment successful spot safeguards that don't presently exist, a concern that leaves galore terminally-ill radical much susceptible and much apt to instrumentality matters into their ain hands."

He added: "Scotland cannot enactment disconnected this conversation. And parliament cannot proceed to permission this contented successful the 'too difficult' box.

"It must, astatine the precise least, let clip for amendments to beryllium considered to spot if a measure tin beryllium agreed that commands bulk enactment and nationalist confidence."

His measure has been backed by Scottish Lib Dem person Alex Cole-Hamilton, ex-Conservative person Jackson Carlaw and Scottish Greens co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley Anne-Somerville and Scottish Conservative lawman person Rachael Hamilton person besides said they volition ballot for the proposals astatine signifier one.

Health Secretary Neil Gray, who volition talk for the authorities during the debate, said helium would abstain from the ballot to support neutrality.

A measure to legalise assisted dying successful England and Wales passed its archetypal signifier astatine Westminster successful November.

The proposals look months of debate, scrutiny and imaginable amendments, arsenic good arsenic last support from the Commons and the Lords, earlier they could go law.

The astir caller Holyrood ballot connected assisted dying, successful 2015, was defeated astatine signifier 1 by 82 votes to 36.

That measure was tabled by the precocious autarkic MSP Margo MacDonald, who died successful 2014 aft being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Following her death, the measure was taken up by Harvie, who volition again reason successful favour of a instrumentality alteration successful this year's debate.