Perth man "dying earlier than he wants" because of Scottish assisted suicide laws

A terminally ill man from Perth who's set to travel to Switzerland to end his life is calling for assisted suicide to be legalised in Scotland.

Richard Selley, 65, has motor neurone disease - he now can't speak or swallow.

He's written a letter to MSPs asking for a bill to be raised to allow others with similar conditions to die at home

Dignity in Dying Scotland has been supporting Richard and his family.

Alyson Thomson from the group says he's reached the end: "His mind is fully active and his brain is fully functioning but his body no longer does.

"Richard's decided that he's reached the point in his journey with motor neurone disease where he's had enough."

Richard is still completing final paperwork before he can fly out.

Alyson says: "He's currently going through the process of completing all the necessary administration work himself.

"This is to ensure his wife Elaine can't be implicated in his decision.

"It means Richard is having to travel early and is losing potentially months of his life."

Holyrood has twice considered Bills aimed at introducing assisted suicide, with these having been brought forward by independent MSP Margo MacDonald and, following her death from Parkinson's disease, Green MSP Patrick Harvie.

But these both failed to get enough support to proceed through the Scottish Parliament.

In 2015, when Mr Harvie's Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill was considered, it was rejected by 36 votes to 82.

With Mr Selley, the former head of Loretto junior school in East Lothian, planning to travel to Switzerland in eight weeks, he has vowed to dedicate his remaining time to trying to persuade MSPs to change the law.

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