Orcadian Column, 26/3/2026
Outside parliament last Tuesday morning, under the watchful gaze of a bank of TV cameras and journalists jostling for position, Tracy Churcher gave me a big hug, wished me luck before heading off with her daughter to catch a train home. She had hoped to be in the public gallery for the landmark debate on my Assisted Dying bill, but the late sitting meant this wasn’t possible without a costly overnight stay in the capital.
I was determined, though, that Tracy’s presence would be felt in the Chamber, and her voice heard by MSPs before they cast their vote on the final bill shortly before 10pm.
Two weeks previously, I sat in a meeting room at Holyrood listening in horror as Tracy told how she watched her 22-year-old son, Brian die from cancer in a hospice, while pleading with his family to kill him. When she thinks about her son now, it’s not the smiling boy on holiday Tracy remembers but the terror of his illness and the agony he experienced in his death. “This will remain with me the rest of my life. Cancer took everything from Brian – before it took his life, it stripped him of his dignity”.
Tracy is just one of the countless people whose voices I believe should have been at the centre of the debate last week. While the views of others needed to be heard, I regret that often these were given greater weight and prominence over those whose desperate need for more choice at the end of life should always have been the priority.
However genuine concerns about the practicalities and implications of how this law might work in practice, and understanding these is, of course, crucial, the truth is we already have ample evidence from the many jurisdictions in the US, Australia and New Zealand where terminal illness/mental capacity models of assisted dying have been operating safely and successfully for many years, dating back to the late 1990s.
As a result, we know who accesses this choice, with what condition, at what point in their treatment and for what reason. We see how the safeguards work and prevent access for those who don’t meet the strict eligibility criteria, which do not expand over time.
For those arguing for more investment in palliative care, I’d agree but this has never been a case of either/or: we need both more choice and better access to good palliative and other end of life care. And that’s what we have seen in these other states and countries, where introducing assisted dying has often gone hand in hand with improved funding for and engagement with palliative care.
Ultimately, however, in the days leading up to last week’s vote, it was clear some MSPs were hunting for reasons to vote ‘no’. Many will come to regret that decision, not least because doing nothing has serious consequences. It will leave growing numbers of dying people more at risk, isolated and vulnerable. Those with the financial and physical means will still head to Dignitas in Switzerland. Many more will take matters into their own hands, alone behind closed doors. Most will face needlessly painful, undignified deaths, causing enduring trauma for those left behind.
This issue isn’t going away and the reaction over recent days from a public, long and overwhelmingly supportive of a change in the law, suggests parliament will not be allowed to let this lie. Indeed, the forthcoming election provides an ideal opportunity for voters to extract from candidates and parties a commitment to act.
Of course, with energy bills turbocharging the cost-of-living crisis; unprecedented pressures on health and care services; a lack of housing and a sluggish economy, the public has plenty on its mind right now. Meantime, the way our politics is conducted has taken a nosedive for the worse. Not a great combination.
It’s been my privilege to represent our islands over the past 19 years as Orkney’s MSP. With the election on 7th May, I will spend the next six weeks making the case for why voters should put their trust in me again. If successful, I will continue to do my best to make sure Orkney’s voice is heard loud and clear in the next parliament. For now, thank you.