SUPPORT for assisted dying in Scotland has strengthened, five years on from Margo MacDonald’s attempt to change the law, with the majority in favour describing themselves as SNP voters, a poll suggests.

More than three quarters of those surveyed – 76 per cent – want the Scottish Parliament to debate assisted dying after the Parliamentary elections next May. The poll came as New Zealand yesterday became the latest country to signal its backing for legalised euthanasia.

Research involving the campaign group Dignity in Dying has also given a snapshot of those who would be most most likely to support a change in the law.

In terms of backing assisted dying generally, the poll found the highest level of support – 83% – was from those intending to vote SNP in next year’s Holyrood elections, followed by Conservative and Labour at 80%, while 84% who support the ruling party said the next parliament should debate the issue.

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Those “strongly opposed” to voluntary euthanasia were most likely to vote Liberal Democrat in the next parliamentary elections.

Geographically, those most likely to be in favour lived in the South of Scotland, the Highlands and the North East while the majority – 83% – did not identify with any religion and those who described themselves as Protestant were only slightly more supportive of the idea in principle than Catholics – 68% compared to 66%.

A total of 1,042 Scottish adults over the age of 18 were polled from October 9-13 and those most likely to back assisted dying were aged 50-64 and female.

It comes after New Zealanders voted overwhelmingly (65.2%) in favour of the End Of Life Choice Act, which will become law in a year’s time and will mean that terminally ill, mentally competent adults in their final months of life can request assistance from
a medical professional to end their life at a time and place of their choosing.

MSPs last debated the issue in 2015, voting to reject legislation following the death of independent MSP Margo MacDonald, who initiated a bill before her death the previous year.

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Politicians voted by 82 to 36 against the general principles of the Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill. After her death in April 2014 following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, her second bill was championed by the leader of the Scottish Greens, Patrick Harvie.

Ally Thomson, director of Dignity in Dying Scotland, said the new poll showed there was overwhelming support for a “safe and compassionate” assisted dying bill.

She said: “We have excellent palliative and end of life care, yet every week 11 Scots will die a bad death in unbearable pain and suffering.

“As more countries legislate for assisted dying, we ask that Scots politicians join them in showing leadership on delivering the rights that our dying citizens so desperately need.”

Only four countries approve of assisted dying as a whole: Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and more recently Germany, while the first two even recognise requests from minors under strict circumstances. Switzerland allows physician-assisted death under specific scenarios but has made passive euthanasia legal.

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Amanda Ward, chief executive of FATE (Friends At The End) said: “It has been five years since Margo MacDonald introduced a bill to legalise assisted dying in the Scottish Parliament – a move she was described as ‘brave’ for.

“MSPs should harbour this increasing momentum, reassured that the public is behind them and change the law.

"At a time when our mortality is being confronted daily, Scots are not shying away from the end of life, but instead want their MSPs to show leadership and give them the rights and choices that they deserve.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “Scotland is widely recognised for providing high-quality care in this area and we support greater public and personal discussion of bereavement, death, dying and care at the end of life.”