Debbie Purdy: 'Tony Nicklinson died of a broken heart and it was politicians that broke it'

Debbie Purdy in 2009 Credit: John Giles/PA Wire

The assisted suicide campaigner Debbie Purdy, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, has written about the death of Tony Nicklinson for ITV News.

It is heartbreaking that Tony Nicklinson has died, but I think that is what he too died of - a broken heart.

He had his heart broken as politicians continued to ignore an issue which affects so many people's lives.

They broke it for him with their refusal to treat the issue with the importance it deserves.

This is life and death.

Tony Nicklinson in August Credit: Emma Hallett/PA Wire

I think Tony could bear losing a fair argument, as long as the whole issue was taken seriously.

What he could not take was the refusal to even talk about it.

But making the whole discussion seem unimportant made his life seem unimportant.

What is really hard to take is that we are not even prepared to seriously talk about it.

Here is an extract of Debbie Purdey's interview with ITV News: