John Swinney has confirmed he will vote against legalising assisted dying amid concerns that vulnerable people could feel ‘undue pressure’ to end their lives.
The First Minister said he will oppose the bill when it is voted on by MSPs for the first time on Tuesday.
Announcing his decision to journalists in the Scottish Parliament, he also cited concerns about the impact on people who feel they are a ‘burden’ on their families and the State, as well as the impact on the relationship patients have with doctors and the risk that the legislation may end up being extended further in the future.
He also spoke emotionally about his wife Elizabeth Quigley, who has multiple sclerosis, and said he couldn’t contemplate having a discussion with her about the issue.
Mr Swinney said: ‘I have come to the conclusion that I cannot support the bill and will be voting against it on Tuesday.
‘There are three fundamental reasons why I have come to that conclusion. Firstly, I am concerned that passage of this legislation will fundamentally alter the relationship between patients and clinicians.
It is a No from John Swinney as MSPs prepare to vote on the assisted dying bill next week
John Swinney has said he can’t contemplate talking about assisted dying with his wife Elizabeth Quigley, who has MS
‘In my view there is a real danger of undermining the role that we all believe is effectively performed by medical professionals of protecting and enhancing human life.
‘If any possibility or indeed obligation is applied to medical professionals to advise patients about assisted dying I judge that the relationship between doctor and patient would be changed in an irrevocable and detrimental fashion.
‘Secondly, I am concerned that those who are vulnerable in our society and those who may consider themselves a burden to their families or to the State may feel undue pressure to end their life prematurely.
‘I am very careful of the views of many individuals and organisations on this point and I can see no means of avoiding such a situation emerging in relation to the bill.
‘Thirdly, as much as I recognise the efforts to tightly define the bill, if a decision is taken to pass this legislation then I am not sufficiently confident that there will be no further developments through the judicial process that could see the provisions of the bill extended to take in other broader circumstances that would extend the intentions of parliament, and I would not wish to enable such undesirable situation to develop.’
MSPs will have a free vote when Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur’s proposals are voted on at stage one on Tuesday and Mr Swinney insisted he did not want to influence anyone’s vote but felt people were keen to hear his views as First Minister.
Mr Swinney said his Christian faith was part of his judgement when considering the issue, which he previously voted against twice, but said the consideration he gave this time was ‘incredibly difficult’.
When asked if he had discussed the issue with his wife, a BBC journalist, Mr Swinney said: ‘I couldn’t contemplate having the conversation about the question of assisted dying with my wife knowing the health challenges that she faces and the fact that, as you all know, she has terminal illness. I could not contemplate that conversation.’
Mr McArthur said: ‘Given John Swinney’s position on this issue in the past, I have always been aware that I was unlikely to win his support.
‘Nevertheless, I would like to thank him for his considered approach, the time he has taken to discuss the issue with me and his recognition that in this vote he does not speak for his party but solely on a personal basis.
‘He will know that this is an issue on which an overwhelming majority of people of Scotland believe a change in the law is required.
‘Public polling is consistent across age range, disability status, geographic area and religious belief: Scots want a change in the law to allow terminally ill people the choice of an assisted death.’
