MPs will debate assisted dying in The Westminster Hall today, after a campaign backed by Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen gained huge support – and we want to hear your thoughts
MPs are set to debate on assisted dying today, following the response from a public petition, which gained more than 200,000 signatures in support of the controversial practice.
This comes after Dame Esther Rantzen signed up to the Switzerland-based euthanasia clinic Dignitas, following her terminal lung cancer diagnosis. The Childline founder has been campaigning to make physician-assisted suicide legal to spare families the pain of watching their loved ones suffer.
Speaking on Radio Times earlier this year, the broadcaster said: “Having been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, I’m now, at the age of 83, dedicated to a new campaign close to my heart – to change the law on assisted dying.
“I’m optimistic about the prospect of that being legalised within ten years because there is now a huge majority of the public in favour of change. The law at the moment just doesn’t work. Anyone supporting change should please, please, write to their MP.
She continued: “I’ve signed up to Dignitas – and going to Zurich is still an option I’m considering if my life gets unendurable.” Dame Esther hopes to be able to end her own life when she feels the time is right for her, but under current laws her family risk being penalised if they help her travel to Switzerland.
According to legislation, people who aid those who seek assisted suicide abroad could be accused of murder – and the broadcaster hopes the laws will change before she reaches the point of wanting to end her life. The practice is currently banned in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.
The Westminster Hall debate on the petition is expected to last up to three hours today, however, a vote will not be held. Justice Minister Laura Farris will respond on behalf of the Government.
The debate was triggered after a petition on the issue attracted over 200,000 signatures. It stated: “This petition calls for the Government to allocate Parliamentary time for assisted dying to be fully debated in the House of Commons and to give MPs a vote on the issue.
“Terminally ill people who are mentally sound and near the end of their lives should not suffer unbearably against their will.” Keir Starmer is among the politicians in support of legalising the practice, as he pledged to give MPs free vote on changing the law in England if he wins the general election.
Shadow Secretary Wes Streeting recently confessed to feeling “genuinely conflicted” on the issue, as he told Times Radio: “I voted in favour of the last assisted dying bill brought before Parliament. It was a debate we needed to have. But it depends when you catch me on this question. I watched my grandmother die last year of terminal cancer. I had a friend die just a few weeks ago with cancer.
“I would have given anything to stop the suffering. And in those moments I think very strongly I’d vote in favour of assisted dying. And then in the cold light of day, I think you’ve got to make sure no one feels forced or coerced into that choice.
He continued: “I’d need reassurance no doctor would be coerced or forced to take part in ending someone’s life in that way. Ultimately, as long as the law gives people the freedom to choose, I’d be minded to support it. But it really is about the detail and the checks and balances.”
Dame Prue Leith has also voiced her support for assisted dying after having witnessed her brother David suffer a painful death from bone cancer in 2012. The Great British Bake Off judge said: “What is needed is less pearl-clutching about whether this reform should happen, and more serious, constructive debate about how to craft the best possible law for our dying people.”
However, it has been legalised in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and several US states. Former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey said assisted dying is an “act of great generosity, kindness and human love” and that changing the law is “profoundly Christian” to stop people suffering.
Lord Carey’s stance on the topic opposes the official view of the Church of England, who have warned that allowing assisted dying would lead to tens of thousands of elderly people being pressured to end their lives each year. Justin Welby, the current Archbishop of Canterbury, warned in 2021 that a law-change would be “unsafe” and “no amount of safeguards” could protect vulnerable people.
With MPs voicing their thoughts on the debate today, we want to know if you think assisted dying should be legalised in the UK. Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.
The Mirror will also be discussing the topic with you in the comments section below and you can join in! All you have to do is sign up, submit your comment, register your details and then you can take part.