The call for assisted dying is usually made in terms of humanity and compassion for the suffering of the terminally ill.

Writing in The Times in March, Matthew Parris was blunter: We can’t afford a taboo on assisted dying. The old and sick simply cost society too much.

Compassion versus Cost: What is the truth about assisted dying and the claims made for it?

About our speaker

Kevin Yuill is emeritus professor of history at the University of Sunderland. His books include Assisted Suicide: the liberal, humanist case against legalization and Richard Nixon and the Rise of Affirmative Action. He has written academic articles on assisted suicide and euthanasia, as well as on the history of affirmative action, race relations, and gun control.

Kevin has also published on assisted suicide in the Economist, Telegraph, Independent, Spectator (Australia and UK) and regularly contributes to spiked.

He is currently the CEO of the Humanists Against Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia project.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @historykev

Date, Time and Venue: Thursday 23 May, 19.00-21.00, in the Brunswick Inn, Derby.

Tickets £3 (plus fee) on Eventbrite.

(Illustration: Rubens The Dying Seneca (1613) In the Public Domain)