Assisted dying bill vote - how are Moray’s MPs voting?
The assisted dying bill is being debated by politicians in Westminster today.
Passionate and moving arguments have been made in favour of both camps ahead of the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Advocates of assisted dying insist that being forced to live in a state of perpetual and ongoing pain and suffering is tantamount to torture, and robs people of their dignity, and that a person should have the right to choose whether they wish to live or die.
They question why a person is trusted to otherwise have agency over all other aspects of their lives, but that the state decides over something as intimate as whether they can live or die.
Polling has also shown strong public backing for the concept of assisted dying. A YouGov survey just last week showed that 73 per cent backed the idea in principle.
But those opposed to the bill argue that if its protections are not worded carefully it could risk putting undue pressure on people to end their lives who may not otherwise be considering it.
They fear that unscrupulous relatives or friends might try to convince someone to end their lives in a bid to ease themselves of a possible financial 'burden'.
They also raise concerns that some people may also pressure themselves into ending their lives, even without any external influence, or that protections against abuses of the bill might be watered down with time.
The debate has no easy answer, with strong arguments in favour of and against both stances.
And this has, inevitably, led to heated exchanges within the political realm and online - with what is an incredibly complex and nuanced matter being poorly served by the limited word counts of social media, and the weaponising of the debate by culture war warriors.
It has also been weaponised by ‘bad faith’ commentators eager to try to score political points through misinformation - with some falsely implying the private members' bill is government policy or backed by particular parties.
As with previous assisted dying bills that have gone before the Commons under past governments on the left and right - this week's vote is not being conducted along party-political lines and is instead a so-called 'free vote'. MPs are each being asked to vote as they see fit, and the various parties are not whipping their politicians to cast their votes one way or the other.
The bill, should it pass, will change the law in England and Wales but will not apply directly to Scotland. Separate legislation, which is currently being discussed by Holyrood, would likely be required within Scotland.
However, whatever the result this week, the outcome is expected to strongly influence the debate on the matter north of the border, as well as the shape of Scotland's own possible legislation.
But which way are the north's MPs thinking of voting this week? We reached out and asked them ahead of time.
Graham Leadbitter, who is the SNP MP for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey, said he was supportive of assisted dying in principle, but felt it was wrong for a Scottish MP to vote on a law for England and Wales only.
He said: “While I’m supportive, in principle, of assisted dying, as an MP for a constituency in the north of Scotland it would be wrong for me to impose my own views on people in England and Wales, the only UK nations where this proposed legislation would affect.
“In time, the Scottish Parliament will consider different proposals for assisted dying for Scotland, which MSPs will vote on.”
Seamus Logan, SNP MP for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, said: "The laws on assisted dying are matters which are devolved entirely to the Scottish Parliament.
“There is a bill currently being considered in the Scottish Parliament on this issue and it is the outcome of that process that will determine the legal position for people living here.
“As an MP rather than an MSP, that is not something on which I will be able to vote.
"I will not be voting to impose my views onto the people of England and Wales when the Westminster Bill comes up for debate, just as I would not expect MPs from England and Wales to seek to interfere or influence the Bill currently being progressed in the Scottish Parliament.
"In terms of my personal view, I remain unconvinced that assisted dying is a good idea and I can see a range of concerns regarding implementation.”
