Holyrood finally shows us its true talent for serious debate - Susan Dalgety

Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur speaks tio suppoters ahead of Tuesday's vote for the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill . Picture: Lisa Ferguson

As a seasoned observer of our Parliament since it was established 25 years ago, I have seen it at its best and sad to say, often at its worst. And over recent years, the quality of debate and scrutiny by MSPs has plummeted to an all-time low.

The worst example is perhaps the Gender Recog-nition Reform Bill, which was railroaded through the committee process by partisan politicians in 2023.

Warnings that the legislation was not fit for its purpose, most notably that it would affect UK-wide equality law, were ignored by both the Scottish Government and those MSPs whose main role is to thoroughly examine draft legislation to make sure it will work in practice.

Indeed, the then First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, snidely dismissed the views of opponents to the gender bill as “not valid”. Yet only weeks after Holyrood passed the controversial law, the UK government stepped in and vetoed it because of its likely impact on the 2010 Equality Act, just as women’s rights campaigners had warned.

There are many other incidences of Holyrood’s incompetence. John Swinney was forced to withdraw the named person legislation after a Supreme Court ruling said it breached the right to privacy and a family life under the European Con-vention on Human Rights.

More recently, a national care bill collapsed in disarray, but only after the Scottish Government had wasted £30 million on it. A deposit return scheme met a similar fate.

The list goes on, so when veteran Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur introduced his private members bill on assisted dying, my heart sank. How could a bunch of politicians who couldn’t even organise a deposit return scheme for Coke bottles be trusted with, literally, life and death?

But last Tuesday’s debate was a revelation. One after another, MSPs spoke eloquently and often from direct experience about terminal illness, disability and death.

Labour MSP Pam Duncan Glancy moved many to tears when she urged her colleagues to vote against the bill because it risked legitimising a view that a life like hers – she is a permanent wheelchair user – isn’t worth living.

In an equally emotional speech, the bill’s sponsor, Liam McArthur, appealed to MSPs to allow terminally ill Scots “more choice and control over the way in which they die”.

The bill passed its first stage last week, with 70 MSPs voting in favour of it, but there is still a long way to go before it becomes law, if it ever does.

The bill could not have a better sponsor. Liam McArthur is liked and respected by everyone who works with him, and I have no doubt he will listen carefully to every concern.

But the onus is now on his fellow MSPs to do the job they are paid for and scrutinise this bill line by line, offering amendments where necessary.

There are plenty of difficult issues that need careful consideration, but after Tuesday’s performance I am hopeful that Holyrood may just be up to the task.