Assisted Suicide Backed By Lib Dems

Scottish Liberal Democrats have voted in favour of assisted suicide - but the party's MSPs will still be free to vote against it when an attempt to change the law comes before Holyrood later this year A clear majority of members at the party's conference in Aberdeen passed a motion in support of the objectives of the Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill''. But the same motion also stated that any change in the law must bedetermined by way of a free vote in order to respect the conscience of parliamentarians''. Elizabeth Wilson, the Lib Dem candidate for Stirling in the general election, told how her mother had starved herself to death over a period of weeks after suffering a number of strokes. She claimed this was a course a number of people take because they have no other route''. Holyrood is looking at changing the law in Scotland to permit assisted suicide. The Bill, which is being taken forward by Green MSP Patrick Harvie, would allow those with terminal or life-shortening illnesses to obtain help in ending their suffering. It is the second attempt to legislate for assisted suicide in Scotland after an earlier Bill from Margo MacDonald was defeated by MSPs by 85 to 16 in a free vote in 2010. Ms Wilson told the conference:I'm speaking in support of this motion because my mother starved herself to death.'' She recalled how her mother had chosen to go into a residential home but then suffered a major stroke, leaving her unable to get about by herself. A series of mini strokes then greatly diminished her quality of life'', Ms Wilson said. She continued:She actually told my brother when he visited one day that she had decided she wasn't going to eat any more. The course of events was she didn't eat, but she drank water for a little while. Then when she wasn't able to drink water then the home squirted water into the back of her mouth.'' Ms Wilson said the course of action her mother had resorted to wasactually physically very painful for her; she started to ache all over''. She added: And it was of course harrowing for us. There could have been an alternative, and it took three weeks.'' She told the conference she was latersurprised'' to find a number of other people had been through similar experiences There must have been up to about 10 people who I met in the weeks and months after my mother died, who said 'oh yes, my auntie did that' or 'my mum did that','' she said. Liam McArthur, the Liberal Democrat MSP for Orkney, also backed the motion, saying:For me this is about individuals taking control and exercising choice, having dignity in death. The prolongation of life against the wishes of the individual is cruel and unreasonable.'' He argued there had been a dramatic shift in public opinion'' on the controversial issue in recent years with about 70% of people now backing a change in the law. Mr McArthur added:Much more debate will need to be had about the details of this over the coming months, but it is important we recognise the strength of a public attitude for a change in the law.'' Former MSP Mike Rumbles, who is hoping to return to Holyrood in 2016, spoke against assisted suicide. Mr Rumbles, who is standing in Aberdeenshire West, called on activists to remember we are making Scottish Liberal Democrat party policy''. He added:I want to get elected back to the Scottish Parliament. I hope this Bill fails, and it will come back to the Scottish Parliament. And I want to be there to express a view, but I deeply respect our party policy, and I don't want us to create a party policy that ties our parliamentarians.I know it (the motion) says it won't but it will put pressure on parliamentarians because this is what Scottish Liberal Democrats believe.''