MARGO MACDONALD DISCUSSES HER HOPES FOR HER LANDMARK SUICIDE BILL
CUIDE RI CATHY – MARGO MACDONALD
Monday 14 June, 10pm, BBC ALBA
Celebrated Scottish politician Margo MacDonald provides a revealing insight to Cathy MacDonald about her life at Holyrood and discusses her aim to see her assisted suicide bill one day become law.
Speaking during the latest programme of the Cuide Ri Cathy series on BBC ALBA, Margo spends the day with Cathy at the Scottish Parliament before they attend a politicians awards ceremony at night.
The Lothian MSP, who has suffered from Parkinson’s Disease for more than a decade, speaks candidly about her political career and her future ambitions, and acknowledges that although her End of Life Assistance bill will be a difficult one to get through parliament, she hopes that she can gradually win support along the way.
Margo says: “The awareness of the whole end of life issues has sharpened. I’ve looked at polling going back 20 years and it’s consistent. Two-thirds of people think there should be a legal right for someone to assist if they wish to bring their life to an end before nature would.
“For my bill, I’ve tried to build in other safeguards to meet fears that it’s a slippery slope. So there are three categories – people with terminal illness, people with a progressive degenerative condition and people utterly reliant on others following a trauma. They would only ask assistance from a medically qualified specialist who would be registered as willing and able to provide this service.”
Cathy also chats to Jim Sillars, the former SNP MP and Margo’s husband of nearly 30 years. He argues that Margo will have to be prepared for a long campaign to enact change, saying: “This is social dynamite and people have strong opinions either way. Public opinion matters to a degree but there are vested interests in society and pressure on members of parliament. I told Margo right at the beginning that I didn’t think she’d get the bill through first time. Measures like this you have to build up and build up.”
Margo goes on to discuss her rise to political prominence after winning the Glasgow Govan by-election in 1973. However, it was Margo’s career before that famous win, as a PE teacher, that continues to influence her, with her passion for sport shining through as she reveals that she would love a job as the shadow minister for sport.
Cathy also sets aside time to ask Margo about the parliament building and politicians’ expenses, with Margo horrified to reveal that her expenses totalled £30.40 for the session!
But as one of the country’s most respected political figures, Margo remains pragmatic about her career and the change she can influence in future, adding: “I’ll never have power but maybe I can influence those who do have power and I’ve certainly tried.”
CUIDE RI CATHY will be broadcast on BBC ALBA on Monday 14 June at 22.00 and is available on Sky channel 168 & Freesat channel 110.