Read Kerry’s story here.

Mr Sinclair, 76, died last month after travelling to the Dignitas suicide clinic in Switzerland. It is understood that he suffered from multiple system atrophy.

Northumbria Police said:

“A 47-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man from South Shields have been arrested on suspicion of intentionally doing an act to assist or encourage suicide following the death of a 76-year-old man in Switzerland. Both have been bailed pending further inquiries.”

A spokesperson for the ProLife Alliance said:

“Each successive case of assisted suicide that does not lead to a prosecution weakens the law in this country. We urge the police to investigate this case properly and ensure that the law is being properly upheld.”

The results show breakdowns of whether partners desired the pregnancy, and if there was pressure to abort from people other than partners.  In both sets of data, women faced high levels of external pressure, but later in pregnancy they faced particularly high pressure (47.8% compared to 30.5%).

Sadly nearly 40% of women in the survey said they wanted the baby and fewer than 14% said they received adequate pre-abortion counselling or information on alternatives or physical and emotional risks.

Although these read as ‘just figures’, each of these statistics represents a woman who has suffered a terrible injury as a mother.  In each case, a child has tragically died through lack of care and support for its mother.  Is this really a ‘woman’s right to choose’?  The right of women to be protected during their pregnancy is being compromised in the name of ‘choice’.

Rebecca Ng from the ProLife Alliance comments that when women are at their most vulnerable and should be supported, it is terrible that so many are pressured in this way.  Small wonder that they suffer long-term psychological problems.  The ProLife Alliance joins the authors of the study in calling for more counselling and support for women considering abortion at any stage.

The full study can be accessed on http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jp/2010/130519.html.

In 2008 the Labour Government pledged £286 million over three years for the improvement of palliative care in hospitals. However this money has not been ring-fenced which has led to huge variations in the care of dying patients as trusts find their funding streams under pressure. Last year eight primary care trusts spent nothing at all on this area and fourteen invested less than £100,000. This is in contrast to eleven who spent more than £1 million each.

A spokesperson for the ProLife Alliance said:

“At a time when PCTs find their funding under pressure it will become increasingly tempting to cut corners, particularly in the area of end-of-life care. However they need to withstand that pressure and ensure that care for the dying receives the full funding it needs.”

In July last year the Obama administration issued guidelines allowing federal funding for embryo-destructive research in spite of a 1996 law passed by Congress which explicitly banned the spending of taxpayers’ money on research involving the destruction of human embryos.

Lamberth argued that the authorities had tried to circumvent the 1996 law by making a distinction between work that involved destroying human embryos and work that involved embryos that were already available, such as leftover embryos from IVF treatment for which permission for research purposes had been granted. However Lamberth argued that this was a false distinction because the law plainly prohibits the expenditure of federal funds on “research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed”, regardless of whether this occurred before or after the researchers got their hands on the embryos.

The case was brought by two scientists worried that opening up federal funding to embryonic stem cell research would imperil their own work using adult stem cells, an ethical alternative to embryonic stem cell research which has produced 100 cures to date.

The Obama administration has announced that it will appeal the injunction.

A spokesperson for the ProLife Alliance said:

“We are delighted that the law banning federal funding for embryo-destructive research is being upheld in the US. This is an important victory which vindicates the outrage that millions of Americans feel that their money could potentially have been used for such destructive purposes. The next step is to end all funding for embryonic stem cell research which to date has not produced a single cure, as opposed to the many resulting from adult stem cell research.”

The Committee is responsible for overseeing the direction of the organisation, for signing-off policy,
leading on strategy, and supporting the ProLife Alliance’s office on tasks where there is a longer
lead-in time. Members of the Committee, and other volunteers, help the organisation in their spare
time, committing a maximum of a few hours per week and attend meetings which are held once
every one-and-a-half months.

Typically, the members of our Committee and other volunteers have come from a range of
backgrounds: from Heads of Public Affairs to full-time students. Although experience is always
helpful, lack of experience is not a barrier to helping; what matters is that you care about the pro-life
cause and want to use your skills and knowledge to good effect.

If you don’t feel you have time to commit to sitting on our Committee, we are also looking for
volunteers to support our office’s activities from envelope stuffing to campaigning or helping with IT
issues. Individuals with more experience – particularly in public affairs, campaigning, law, media
relations, fundraising, membership and design – are also welcome to support us as advisers so we
can utilise your ideas and knowledge even if you don’t have time to help with the implementation.

We are currently particularly looking for support with:

• Public affairs and campaigning: helping to devise strategies, advising and supporting implementation.
• Overseeing and editing the content of our communications materials.
• Writing articles for the website.
• Fundraising and membership: helping the ProLife Alliance to raise income and generate new members.
• Technical website and IT support.
• Marketing and corporate communications advice.

To offer your help:

If your skill set does not fit into these categories, please don’t hesitate to contact us as there are
many other roles we need support with that are not listed here. We also need members of the
Committee who will help with ad-hoc tasks that don’t fit into a Committee member’s portfolio.

To offer your help, please email applications@prolife.org.uk attaching your CV (or detailing any
relevant experience you have) and what you’d like to help with.

This story yet again highlights the successful tactics of the assisted suicide lobby, and the role of the BBC in all of this needs thorough investigation.  The original Ray Gosling programme was broadcast a week before the DPP was due to issue new guidelines on prosecution for assisting a suicide.  It generated much media attention in favour of ‘mercy killing’. The same BBC had earlier shown  (1/2/10) a very biased Panorama programme on Kay Gilderdale’s assisted suicide of her daughter.

Both The Times and Daily Telegraph ask why the BBC did not verify their facts before these programmes were broadcast.  Alarmingly, nor did they report Ray Gosling to the police in the two months before the film was shown.  These actions show a complete lack of judgement regarding an apparent criminal act.  We assume they would report a confession of paedophilia; but not murder?

In the Today Programme, Ray Gosling said ”if it happens to a lover or friend of yours, a husband, a wife,  … you have to do brave things and you have to say – to use Nottingham language – bugger the law.”

Rebecca Ng of the ProLife Alliance welcomes the DPP’s decision to prosecute Ray Gosling.  If everybody took Ray Gosling’s attitude to the law, there would be little way to defend helpless patients.

Rebecca Ng of the ProLife Alliance urges Boots to reconsider.  As a trusted family chemist, they should not jeopardise the health of the public. With no health or age checks involved, there are serious dangers both for risk groups and for young girls who could access this drug.  Internet sales could lead to people stockpiling the pills and then taking them incorrectly.  Young girls would be able to bypass parents, who would have no knowledge of what they were doing.  They would not have to prove how old they were so we could have very young girls buying the morning-after pill without a face-to-face consultation.

It is not fully understood how Levonelle works, but it cannot be excluded that it could terminate a developing pregnancy. As it is taken after sex, a conception may well have occurred. The morning after pill is inaccurately labelled so that those who take it will think it is an innocuous medication, not one which can take the life of an unborn child.  The woman or girl will have no opportunity to consider this and may not realise that there are ethical implications to their online purchase.  It will seem to be just another consumer product.

We encourage people to contact Boots with courteous complaints.

Boots Customer Care can be contacted as follows:

Telephone: 0845 0708090Email: customerservice@care.boots.com

In writing to Boots Customer Care, P O Box 5300, Nottingham, NG90 1AA

(For full job specification, please click here)

The ProLife Alliance is at an exciting moment in its history. Established in 1996, the organisation has

achieved a lot in the last 13 years and we continue to make a significant mark on the political and

policy landscape, changing the minds of the public and key opinion-formers. We are now expanding

our team and are looking to appoint a communications officer.

You must be highly self-motivated, well organised, prepared to accept accountability, and proactive

in identifying new opportunities to help advance the pro-life cause. Although you will be given

support and guidance, there is limited supervision in this role so it is important that you are

prepared to set your own workload and help the organisation to progress.

The role will always involve administrative tasks and support for our fundraising activities such as

corresponding with our members, but you will be given significant responsibility and the role may be

adapted to suit you depending on your specific skills and experience.

Due to the variety of the responsibilities and tasks you will be responsible for on a day-to-day basis,

you will be expected to demonstrate a willingness to take on tasks that might be outside of your

comfort zone.

PURPOSE

A key member of our team you will be responsible for campaign execution, helping to ensure that

the ProLife Alliance remains at the forefront of public and wider political debate on life issues. You

will help to manage our relationships with our membership, opinion-formers, media, and other pro-

life groups.

KEY ROLES

There are a number of essential roles you will be required to perform including:

• Administrative tasks including management of members
• Corresponding with our members and external organisations
• Drafting campaign materials and compiling research
• Monitoring political and media activity on life issues
• Representing the ProLife Alliance at events and external meetings
• Inputting into campaign strategy, contributing new ideas and spotting new opportunities
• Planning and organising small-scale events such as meetings
• Proactively spotting opportunities for the organisation to engage with both politically and
• areas where the organisation can grow and improve.

Depending on your experience and skills, you may be given opportunities for media interviews.

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ProLife Alliance
PO Box 13395
London
SW3 6XE

Tel: 020 7581 6939
Fax: 020 7581 3868
E-mail: info@prolife.org.uk
Website: www.prolife.org.uk