Debate will mark victory for us all ..and Dame Esther

THE hugely significant assisted dying debate by MPs next month will mark a major victory for both Dame Esther Rantzen and you, our army of Daily Express readers.

You helped persuade lawmakers to discuss legalising a person’s right to end their own life through this newspaper’s Give Us Our Last Rights crusade.

It seeks to enable terminally ill, mentally sound individuals, with a prognosis of six months or less, the right to seek medical assistance when they want to die.

National treasure Dame Esther, 83, who has stage 4 lung cancer, said: “We are calling for the right for all of us to choose. It’s our life, it should be our choice.

“To paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill, we have given our politicians the tools, now they must finish the job.”

Lifelong campaigner Dame Esther is too ill to attend the debate in person, but the watershed moment on April 29 could set in motion one of the most important victories during her lifetime of championing the voiceless and standing up for the marginalised. She has been the driving force behind reform to “outdated” assisted dying laws and has galvanised support across Britain.

If successful, she would be almost singlehandedly responsible for bringing the UK in line with countries around the world in allowing seriously sick people to choose to pass away painlessly and with dignity.

Assisted dying for the terminally ill is legal in some US states, Australia, Switzerland and New Zealand. Polling shows more than 80% of the UK wants the same here.

Dame Esther said: “I’m not demanding everybody in the world agrees with me.

“I’m just saying let’s debate all the issues now we’ve got international evidence and we know the public attitude is in favour.”

The Express asked all 32 cabinet members where they stand on assisted dying.

Only two – Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Foreign Office Minister Andrew Mitchell – responded but indicated they would vote in favour if given the chance.