The broadcaster Esther Rantzen has described the UK government’s law on assisted dying as a “mess” as she renews her calls for legalisation. The 83-year-old, who has stage-four cancer, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that watching loved ones die had motivated her, saying “memories of a bad death obliterate happy memories”.
A report by the Commons health and social care committee said on Thursday that legalisation in at least one jurisdiction – Scotland, the Isle of Man or Jersey – was “increasingly likely”, and urged the government to plan for differences in the law. It did not recommend a parliamentary vote.
Rantzen warned that British people seeking assisted death abroad often die alone because families fear police investigations. “If I go to Zurich I would have to go alone,” she said, adding that stories of bereaved families being investigated were “wrong”. Dr John Sorrell, an opponent, said the report did not challenge concerns about pressure on individuals.
Rantzen backed clear eligibility criteria, such as the Dignity in Dying proposal that people with six months or less to live should have the option. She said those with severe mental illness should not be eligible, as it is “too difficult to define”. She said: “It would give me so much confidence if I could know that I will still have the choice of a pain-free, dignified, private death.”
Assisted dying is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, carrying a maximum 14-year prison sentence. The government has said any change would be a matter for parliament.
