I BELIEVE in democracy. I honestly believe the people have the democratic right to decide for themselves on all issues and in every case.

After all, people like myself along with MPs and MSPs are here to represent the people to the best of our ability.

I truly believed in democratic choice on all issues – until last week.

At the last council meeting, Bailey Denis Agnew brought a motion concerning “assisted dying”.

I have to say right now I voted against the motion, simply because I firmly believed the motion had no practical or workable reason to be before council.

I spoke, as best I could, about my own experience of watching someone slip away before my eyes as I stood helplessly by, unable to do anything but just watch and wait.

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For the far too many of you who have been in such a position, you will understand what that feels like.

A short while after cancer took Lynda, this subject came to the fore, and while it was being discussed in the pub a friend of mine asked me the question, “What if?”

“What if Lynda was in constant pain, and simply lingered towards a very painful death. What would you have done?”

I answered as honestly as possible. I could not have stood and watched that happen.

Would I have given permission to end the pain and suffering? Of course I would have – in the blink of an eye.

Of course, therein lies the problem with this debate and any possible public vote.

All practical arguments would go out the window, and your vote would be cast based on pure emotion.

That would make any such vote dangerous.

You simply cannot make such a huge decision based on emotion.

And that is why I say that on some issues the people should not have a vote – in very rare instances, of course.

If such a vote ever became a reality – and I doubt it ever will be put to the public in the UK – I would have to vote “no”.

For me, there are simply far too many pitfalls to make it safe.

I know and appreciate that it does happen in some other countries but, for me, it would be a no.