Glasgow — The debate around assisted dying in Scotland has ignited not only moral and medical disputes, but a growing backlash from voices who say the country’s liberal political class is waging war on its most vulnerable citizens.
In a blistering column published hours after the Scottish Parliament opened its stage-one debate on assisted dying, commentator Kevin McKenna launched a broadside against what he described as Scotland’s “counterfeit liberals” — an elite class he accuses of promoting policies that systematically erode protections for the working class.
“The shallowness of Scotland’s counterfeit liberals is never more evident than in their loathing of working class people,” McKenna wrote, singling out parties such as the SNP, Labour, Greens, and Lib Dems as indistinguishable components of a political class detached from the lives of ordinary Scots.
Assisted Dying as a Class Issue?
While most public discourse has framed assisted dying as a matter of individual dignity and choice, McKenna reframes it as a class conflict, raising fears that the bill could disproportionately affect poorer Scots — particularly those who lack adequate palliative care options or face economic and social isolation.
The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, proposed by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, would allow mentally competent adults with a terminal illness to end their lives legally, under strict medical oversight.
McKenna argues that this seemingly progressive proposal could mask a darker utilitarianism — one that subtly encourages society’s most burdened to opt out of life rather than challenge the social conditions making it unbearable.
“If you’re looking for an example of ‘disgusting’ in Scottish politics,” he wrote, referencing First Minister John Swinney’s recent attack on the Conservatives, “you need look no further than the SNP and its allies in Holyrood’s liberal confederation of frauds.”
Broader Liberal Agenda Under Fire
McKenna’s criticisms are not limited to assisted dying. He links it to what he sees as a pattern of abandonment by Scotland’s political elites:
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Drug policy: He accuses Holyrood liberals of embracing decriminalisation without adequately addressing addiction services or poverty.
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Prostitution: He argues that calls to legalise or regulate sex work ignore the coercive economic realities for many women involved.
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Healthcare and public services: He claims that a façade of social progressivism masks the deterioration of frontline services, particularly in poorer postcodes.
By connecting these issues, McKenna paints a picture of what he sees as a pseudo-liberal consensus in Edinburgh that prioritises ideology over real-world consequences.
Leftist Critique, Not Conservative Reaction
Crucially, McKenna’s commentary is not grounded in religious conservatism or moral traditionalism. Instead, it borrows from a left-populist framework, where class, power, and inequality remain the central axis.
This strand of criticism complicates the narrative around assisted dying. While most opposition comes from religious groups and right-leaning MSPs, McKenna introduces a working-class scepticism — one that views assisted dying not as a compassionate choice, but as a signal of policy failure.
Growing Cultural Backlash in Scotland
McKenna’s remarks land amid a broader cultural backlash in Scotland against perceived liberal overreach. Recent flashpoints include:
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The Gender Recognition Reform Bill, paused after a UK Government veto.
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Hate crime legislation, which critics claim chills free speech.
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Ongoing tensions around drug decriminalisation and safe consumption spaces.
Each has fuelled accusations that Holyrood’s centre-left consensus is disconnected from working-class priorities — a charge that resonates in areas long neglected by policy interventions.
Lib Dems, SNP Face Growing Pressure
For McArthur and others backing the assisted dying bill, McKenna’s critique presents a rhetorical challenge: how to reassure the public that the legislation won’t create a two-tier system of dying, where wealth determines whether one can afford a comfortable end or is nudged toward assisted death due to poor hospice care.
Yet supporters insist the bill includes robust safeguards and is about giving people choice, not reducing lives to cost-benefit calculations.
Still, McKenna’s column taps into a raw nerve in Scottish politics — the perception that liberalism in Scotland has become performative, more interested in moral posturing than material equity.
