Disabled people ‘not better off dead’, actress tells Holyrood rally

Disabled people are not “better off dead”, an actress has told a rally outside Holyrood ahead of a key vote on assisted dying legislation.

Silent Witness star Liz Carr told campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament she was “fed up” of answering questions from strangers who believe living with a disability “must be the worst thing imaginable”.

She spoke just hours before a new push to implement assisted dying for those with a terminal illness – proposed by Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur – faced an initial vote in Edinburgh.

“I am so fed up of having to answer strangers’ questions, even in this day and age, who think that being us must be the worst thing imaginable,” she said to campaigners, which included a number of disabled people.

“That having pain, having difficulty with everyday activities, must mean that it would be better if we were dead – that is not the case.”

Speaking to the PA news agency, Carr worried that the definition of a terminal illness in the Bill was too broad and could even include people with her condition – arthrogryposis multiplex congenita.

“The definition under Liam’s Bill is so wide, it doesn’t have a time frame – that’s good and bad in some ways, it’s almost impossible to define prognosis and diagnosis in people at the end of their life unless you’re right there within days or a couple of weeks, actually,” she said.

“But it also has a definition that I would qualify under, I would define myself as a disabled person, but actually the definition of having a progressive condition, I would come under that.

“So the potential for this to include far more than just those with true terminal illnesses … those as well with degenerative conditions, is what concerns so many of us and so many of the people that are here today.”

Carr also spoke alongside Scottish Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy, a fellow wheelchair user and opponent of the legislation.

Addressing the dozens of campaigners outside Holyrood, Ms Duncan-Glancy said: “If any of my colleagues are in any doubt whatsoever, if in doubt: don’t.”

She added: “The risk is too high.

“And so I hope that my colleagues will listen carefully to that and will not support this legislation this afternoon.

“I know that I will, on behalf of all of you, go in there and fight for out lives.”

The legislation faces and initial vote in Holyrood on Tuesday and if passed, will go before the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee which will consider amendments before it returns to the full chamber for further potential changes and a final vote.