David Cameron for Euthanasia?

People Power

The burst of applause was sudden and unexpected.

I first thought David Cameron was speaking to an empty room this afternoon. What galvanised his Tory Welsh audience into life was the promise of death - at a time of their choice. Not directly but that is the logical outcome of his promise.

He said ‘If it’s good enough for Portland it’s good enough for Port Talbot.' Not a battle cry that is likely to echo down the centuries, but it woke the Tories up.

Cameron was arguing for Portland Oregon people power. If enough people signpetitions they would not be answered then ignored as they are by the present Government, he said. No they will have a parliamentary debate. Then they will be ignored - as 95% of present parliamentary debates are.

In the autumn, my select committee visited America to examine this subject. We spoke at length to the Washington representative of Oregon about their petitions.  In Portland now euthanasia is legal. In 1997 Oregon enacted the Death with Dignity Act, which allows terminally ill Oregonians to end their lives through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications, expressly prescribed by a physician for that purpose.

The Oregon Death with Dignity Act requires the Oregon Department of Human Services to collect information about the patients and physicians who participate in the Act, and publish an annual statistical report. The impetus for this progressive measure was a petition on the lines that Cameron is suggesting. This subject is taboo among our cowardly political classes, yet euthanasia enjoys as widespread public support here as in Oregon.

Is this what Cameron has in mind ?  I forecast that if Cameron has his way, euthanasia will be the first surprise vote. The next will be on the death penalty. Parliament might honour our majority views on the former but never on the latter.

The second most interesting consequence of people petition power was in Florida. They voted by a large majority for smaller school classes. Who wouldn’t? But to achieve they had to knock down and rebuild most of their schools. The cost nearly bankrupted the state. Florida now insists that all petition include costing of their consequences.

There’s the rub. David Cameron promised votes on the level of local Council taxes. How many people will vote for higher ones ? The result of voting against the Council tax will be a collapse of services. What happens then? An unwelcome dose of reality will scupper this nonsense.

How about a new rule in for the Tory Bright Ideas department, ‘ Before anyone announces any new policy, someone should think about its consequences for at least five minutes.’

Dewi sant

What a glorious St. David’s Day.

Driving past banks of daffodils in the warm spring sunshine this morning listening to Beethoven’s Violin Concerto was an invigorating start to the day.

I was off to a Fairtrade event at the brand new Rivermead community Centre at Afon village. When I was first elected to parliament in 1987, a clapped out, polluting coal burning power station occupied this site. It is now filled with 2,000 attractive modern homes.

In 1988 a man named Casfikis planned to open it. Under privilege I attacked him in parliament and made some telling revelations about his past business career. He had a very interesting life. He left the country and the reopening plan was wreaked.

The power station had been located in a dreadful position on the floor of the valley. Its demolition was a day of joy and celebration for thousands of Rogerstone and Risca residents. Now Afon Village is developing with a fine supermarket, community centre and a brand new railway station.

Literally from the ashes a bright new village has emerged