JOHN SMEATON, DIRECTOR OF SPUC: Vulnerable people threatened by Labour MP's suicide proposal

Tuesday, 9 June 2015

Vulnerable people threatened by Labour MP's suicide proposal

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children fears that vulnerable people will be adversely affected by the decision of Rob Marris, Labour MP for Wolverhampton South West, to propose an 'Assisted Dying' bill in the House of Commons. The bill is expected to single out people who are terminally ill or have disabilities as candidates for help to die.

A similar proposal was defeated on 27th May 2015 in the Scottish Parliament.

Commenting on the Mr Marris's decision, John Deighan, of SPUC Scotland, said:

"We are disturbed that Rob Marris MP has chosen to prioritise the issue of assisted suicide. When properly examined assisted suicide is revealed as a grave danger to the vulnerable and disabled. It is not possible to safeguard effectively against coercion, and the so-called right to die easily becomes a duty to die. Establishing laws which endorse the view that some people are better off dead creates a regime which endangers the weakest members of society. We should maintain equal protection for the rights of those who are vulnerable.

"For reasons such as these Scottish politicians recently rejected assisted suicide proposals in considerable numbers. We call on Members of Parliament to do likewise with this proposal," concluded Mr Deighan.

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About Me

I became involved in SPUC after graduating, when I established a branch in south London in 1974. I have worked full-time for SPUC for 42 years. I became chief executive of SPUC in the UK in 1996, having been general secretary since 1978. I was elected vice-president of International Right to Life Federation in 2005. At UN conferences in Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing, Istanbul and Rome, I helped coordinate more than 150 pro-life/pro-family groups resulting in pro-life victories in Cairo, Istanbul and Rome. I was educated at Salesian College, London, before going to Oxford where I graduated in English Language and Literature. I qualified as a teacher, becoming head of English at a secondary school. I am married to Josephine. We have a grown-up family and we live in north London.