Support for Scottish suicide bill 'draining away'

Support for Scotland's assisted suicide bill is "draining away", a pro-life organisation says.

Right To Life UK, which campaigns for a society "where human life is valued at all stages" says that "if only four more votes switch", the legislation will fail.

In a statement, the organisation says: "An analysis of the speeches [in the Holyrood Parliament] on day one of Stage 3 [Tuesday], completed by Right To Life UK’s Policy Team, found that of the 21 MSPs who made speeches and took a position on the Bill, 18 (85.7%) spoke against it and three (14.3%) spoke in favour of the Bill.

"This represents six times the number of MSPs speaking in opposition to the Bill compared to those who supported it in their speeches. The Government Minister did not take a position in his speeches."

It added: "The overwhelming opposition to the bill among those speaking at the Stage 3 debate today follows the news yesterday that the Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, Russell Findlay MSP, had dropped his support of the Scottish assisted suicide bill, vowing that he will now vote against it as 'the risks are too great'.

"This now means that the leaders of the three largest parties in Holyrood are opposed to the assisted suicide Bill.

"If just seven of the MSPs who voted for the Bill at Stage 1 switch their stance and vote against the Bill at the final vote at Stage 3 next Tuesday 17 March, it will be defeated.

"Russell Findlay MSP joins two MSPs who have already publicly indicated that they will be changing their vote from supporting to opposing the Bill, and according to media reports, others are set to follow.

"Only four more MSPs have to move from supporting to opposing the Bill for it to be defeated."

The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, introduced by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, was backed in a vote last year on the general principles of the legislation by 70 to 56, with MSPs following their consciences rather than any party lines.

But the BBC has described the bill as being on a "knife-edge" with "several members who voted it through at its first stage... now wavering".