North West: A Matter of Life and Death

Liam Fogarty
Politics Show North West

As parliamentarians on the Isle of Man Parliament discuss a Bill which would legalise assisted suicide, the Politics Show in the North West reports from the island.

House of Keys discusses a Bill which would legalise assisted suicide

The issue was put back in the spotlight when 60 year-old islander David William Mudie was jailed for nine months for helping a friend commit suicide.

The lower house of the Manx Parliament, The House of Keys, has set up a committee to examine a the Private Members Assisted Suicide Bill, before it's debated by lawmakers in the New Year.

Already 200 groups and individuals have made submissions to the committee, one of the biggest-ever responses to a Keys investigation.

House of Keys debates

The man who is proposing the Bill, John Rimington MHK, tells the Politics Show why the Island should follow the example of other countries like Switzerland, where doctors are allowed to help people to die without legal recrimination.

"I can't see any good moral argument for not introducing it," says Mr Rimington.

The case of Liverpool man Reginald Crew, who travelled to a Swiss clinic to die under medical supervision in January, created controversy.

Around 300 assisted suicides take place in Switzerland each year.

The Manx legislation would allow a competent adult ... to receive medical assistance to die at his own considered and persistent request.

The Politics Show North West hears from both sides in the debate.

... Also on Politics Show North West

Angry white man

Writer and film-maker Michael Moore is urging people to demonstrate when President George W Bush makes his state visit to Britain.

The author of Stupid White Men was in Liverpool and Manchester to promote his latest book, Dude, Where's My Country.

Moore is one of the fiercest critics of the Bush White House. He tells the Politics Show;

We need the people of the UK to give George Bush a hard time next week because we need the people of this country to expose all the lies.

Americans need to see that the Brits are NOT with us, they're not in favour of the war. That's what good friends do. Good friends tell you when you're screwing up.

That is what Americans need from you right now.

An opposite view comes from Colleen Graffy of Republicans Abroad;

The core foundation of America is freedom of speech. But why he's not focussing on the Iraqi people is a bit unfortunate.

That is a real change Bush has made. That's a positive aspect of what Bush has done.

That's The Politics Show

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