My Statement to Cabinet Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Gibbens has said that:

“Clearly, there will be people who are unhappy that the decisions don’t reflect their views. The key issue for me, however, has been the need to balance today’s needs with the demands of the future. The consultation was important and useful – and I have listened carefully and thoroughly to the voices of people who did not agree with the original proposals, as well as those who do.”

This is not, with respect, the key issue.

The key issue is this:

If you have the power of life and death for another human being and choose death are you not responsible before Man and before God?

Your decision may kill Vera, my mother. You know this because the Council has done an assessment and is aware that she is forgetful and that she may have heart failure. Your Officers will have told you of Professor Katona’s expert opinion that stress raises the cortisol level in the blood. That this brings on heart attacks to susceptible people. And strokes to those who are vulnerable to these.

And yet, knowing this, your Officers did not carry out a risk report on my mother telling you whether your decision would lead to her death.

Your Officers may have told you about Court cases in Wolverhampton, Hull and Southampton. And how the Court was told that those Councils methodology was so good that the risk was minimised? Have they told you that 25 out of 54 died within months of traumatic news or moves? I have the data here. Each one of those dead was someone’s child or mother. Like your child or your mother. And each was slaughtered by Councillors such as you.

I say this because the death train cannot run without a driver. That driver may be Government policy or desire to reap the value of land on which my poor mother’s bed sits where she lays her head to sleep in safety.

But the train also cannot run without its ticket sellers and inspectors. It’s staff on the platform to help them onto the train. And these are you.

And if one man or woman of the bystanders letting it happen says “no, this is not about future provision. You could let these die in peace and still provide that way. This is about stopping that old lady suffering even unto death” then perhaps there is a righteous man who will answer “I cannot in all conscience put my name to this”.

Is that righteous human being you?

Remember that for all the world’s great faiths there is a last day. On that last day we stand before our Maker not in a Group but alone.

And on that day we cannot rely on Council policy nor on laws nor blame Councillor Gibbens. On that day the responsibility for what we have done is ours and ours alone.

As it is now.

And if my mother, so frail, could beg you she would beg for her life.