A COUNCIL boss who lost both his parents and his in-laws in four years has called for a “sensible discussion” on assisted dying and accused politicians of “running away” from the subject.

Wiltshire Council deputy leader John Thomson made the comments during a discussion on the council’s updated “end of life care strategy” at County Hall on Tuesday.

Cllr Thomson said the “excellent”

report contained “a lot of good words” about helping people to die at home, but said one “glaring thing” was missing — assisted dying. “What about people that actually want to end their lives earlier?” he asked. “Why should they have to troop off to Switzerland to some little cabin?”

He said people should have the choice to end their lives in this country and not have to face the “agony” of not accompanying loved ones to Switzerland for fear of being prosecuted.

Council leader Jane Scott said it was a national issue discussed in Parliament “every couple of months”.

But Cllr Thomson said politicians needed to be braver, especially in a county with a “very large, older-aged population”.

Assisted suicide, or voluntary euthanasia, is illegal under English law, and is punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment.

Speaking to the Journal, Cllr Thomson said: “I sat for three nights and three days while my father slowly died and it was the most stressful and awful scenario.

I wouldn’t want to go through it [myself].”

He added: “Why can’t people [choose to end their lives] in the privacy of their own home with all their family around them?”

The council’s updated end of life care strategy aims to improve the quality of care available to patients and help them to make informed choices.