Prue Leith has voiced her fury over what she describes as a 'disgraceful' parliamentary tactic delaying the assisted dying bill in the House of Lords. The former Great British Bake Off judge, 86, said she does not fear death but is alarmed at the prospect of being forced to suffer in her final days.
Speaking on the What's My Age Again? podcast, Leith explained that her advocacy for assisted dying stems from a desire to avoid prolonged pain and distress. 'What would scare me is if you're ill, in pain and unhappy — you ought to be allowed to die if you want to,' she said.
Leith criticised a group of Lords who have tabled over a thousand amendments to the bill, which she claims is a deliberate attempt to run down the clock and kill the legislation. The bill has already passed the House of Commons with strong support, but Leith fears it will fail if it does not complete its Lords stages before the end of the parliamentary session.
'The Lords are supposed to scrutinise and improve bills, not deliberately sink them,' she said. Leith described the filibustering as 'undemocratic' and damaging to the reputation of the upper house. She added that even some peers opposed to assisted dying condemn the procedural obstruction.
