Almost 70% of people believe the law on assisted suicide should be changed to allow terminally ill people to end their lives.

A new poll has found that most people support legislation proposed by Margo MacDonald, the independent MSP, who wants to give terminally ill people the right to bring about their death with the help of a doctor.

Mrs MacDonald, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease will present a Bill on the issue in the Scottish Parliament next month.

The Sunday Times Poll found that 68% of people agreed that the law in Scotland should be changed to allow doctors to help people with chronic illnesses end their lives.

The figures are in line with an exclusive STV survey conducted in March which found that 75% of people supported the right-to-die campaign. Only 15% said no.

Sunday’s survey also found that people aged 35-44 showed the highest support for the change, at 78%.
Mrs MacDonald said she hoped the poll findings would encourage MSPs, who she believes are privately sympathetic, to "break cover" and back her Bill.

"This poll demonstrates that there is a consistency of people in support of the idea of the individual being able to determine for themselves that life has become intolerable and to seek assistance to bring it to an end," she said.

More than 100 Britons have already ended their lives at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland but First Minister Alex Salmond remains unconvinced about the proposals.

Mrs MacDonald added: "The longer the debate goes on and the more proof there is that the right to end your life is supported by a clear majority of voters, the more confident I am that the Bill will become law.
"I know there are a good number of MSPs who agree with me but who haven't yet gone public because they have been affected by the campaign against the bill.”