Half of Britons want assisted suicide to be made legal

Published on Monday 14 September 2009 22:15

BRITISH people are almost evenly divided over whether assisted suicide should be legalised, The Scotsman can reveal.

Research conducted by pollsters ComRes found 49 per cent of people across the UK support legalisation while 42 per cent oppose.

However, in Scotland, where a bill by Independent Lothians MSP Margo McDonald allowing assisted suicide is due to be tabled at Holyrood, 52 per cent were against legalisation compared to 42 per cent in favour.

The poll of 1,001 people was commissioned by the campaign group Choose Life following the decision by the Law Lords to force the Crown Prosecution to issue guidelines when it would prosecute people for taking terminal ill relatives or friends to a clinic where they could end their lives.

The case was brought by Diane Pretty, who wants her husband to be protected when she decides her own medical condition has become unbearable.

It also followed the death of Dan James late last year, whose parents took him at his own request to Switzerland to end his life after he had become completely debilitated following a rugby injury.

However, pro-life groups and organisations representing disabled people have fiercely opposed the move, which they fear will become a charter to end the life of a relative who has become too much of a nuisance to look after.

Their position is strongly supported by the Catholic Church which has campaigned against Ms McDonald's bill. But the poll only included 88 people in Scotland and Ms McDonald denied it showed a majority were against her, arguing the question asked was loaded.

The question put forward was: "In principle, do you think it should be legal or illegal to help end the life of a suicidal person?"

Ms McDonald told The Scotsman that she would have answered "no" to that question even though she wants legislation which will allow people with progressively debilitating or terminal conditions to be assisted in ending their own lives.

"It is a very general and misleading question," she said. "A suicidal person could include an emotionally fragile teenager or somebody who is just going through a bad time. If the question was about people suffering from a progressively worsening or terminal condition then it might have got a different response."

But she added: "Considering that the question is loaded, I think that it is interesting more people in the UK supported legalisation than not."

A spokesman for Choose Life said the poll was highly significant because it revealed that support for assisted suicide is not as strong as many had claimed. He added that the question was a fair one which properly reflected the issue that politicians in Scotland may soon have to vote on.

"This poll shows that following the recent debate and media interest in the ending of life and assisted suicide issues, the public are increasingly worried," he said. "They are becoming more sceptical about legalising assisted suicide. Previously we have been told that more than 80 per cent of people support legalisation, but this poll has revealed that this is simply not true."