My dad used to say to me, if I ever get in a position where I can't wipe my own ass, pull the plug.

You probably had similar things said to you by your parents. Maybe you've said it to your kids.

Easy to say, but much more difficult when you're

faced with it. Me and my dad didn't have the happiest of relationships. I'll be honest with you.

He put me into care after my mum died when I was 11. I hated the bastard for years and years and

years. Until I met the Bishop of Bedford. it's a longer story, which I've got into in my book,

and one day I might talk about it more, but he said the only way to ever free yourself of

your past, John, this is the Bishop of Bedford, was to allow the person who's hurt you the

most to be free too. So I just decided to

basically forgive my dad. I never told him. I just reacted to him in a different way. And towards

the end of his life, and I didn't know it was going to be the end of his life. He was a very

active pensioner living on his police pension, enjoying himself, married to my stepmom.

She'd never really been my mom because I was growing up by the time they'd got together.

Because my mum died at 11 at Christmas, just in a few days' time, to be absolutely honest with you.

But he used to say this.

He said, if I couldn't wipe my ass, then please basically put me down.

And this is coming to sharp focus today because we've now got state-assisted suicide.

That's what I'm calling it.

I wasn't sure where I stood on it, but once the self-serving pigs of Westminster voted for it, it firmed up my opinion.

Would you really want them in charge of who can die and who can't?

And you're telling me that won't go down a slippery path?

Because I think it will.

...