It’s a real shame assisted dying in Scotland will be too late for my mum Esther
RANTZEN’S DAUGHTER PRAISES NEW BILL TO ALLEVIATE SUFFERING »»That’s Life host’s girl praises Scots ‘courage’ »»She urges Labour to follow lead in England
DAME Esther Rantzen’s daughter says it “breaks my heart” that it will probably be too late for her terminally ill mum to use a proposed new assisted dying law in Scotland.
Rebecca Wilcox said she “wishes she was Scottish” as Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur introduced his Bill on assisted dying to the Scottish Parliament yesterday.
She appeared on Good Morning Britain to talk about her mum’s battle with stage four lung cancer and why she’s campaigning for people to have the right to die.
The 44-year-old admitted they do not know how long Esther, the host of BBC favourite That’s Life! for 21 years, has left and would likely not benefit from the proposed legislation if it passes.
She told GMB’s Susanna Reid she’s hopeful the legislation could become UK-wide as “everybody seems to be behind it”.
But Rebecca added: “The caveat that breaks my heart is that you have to have lived in Scotland for a year to be able to take up this legislation and be able to choose the way you want to die, choose a painless death, choose a dignified death if you have a terminal illness. “Who knows how long Mum has left but she doesn’t have enough time to move to Scotland to be there for a year, plus this Bill probably won’t go through until next year. “Everybody that I’m meeting in the Dignity in Dying campaign – none of this is going to help them.” She added: “Things are not certain but I think we can pretty much say it won’t help my mum and it won’t help lots of people who are going through what they’re going through today.” If passed, McArthur’s Assisted Dying f o r
Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill would permit medical assistance for people wishing to end their lives.
She urged Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to push ahead with assisted dying legislation like Scotland’s as soon as possible if he becomes the next prime minister.
Rebecca added: “Every UK constituency was polled and in every one the majority was for assisted dying. It seems like a no brainer to me. The movement in the UK is shifting towards it. Everybody seems to be behind it.
“As long as we have the caveats and to protect vulnerable people, to make sure people don’t feel pushed towards this decision, or make the decision for somebody else, as long as that’s in place, it should be fine.”
Rebecca, whose dad is the late TV film-maker and producer Desmond Wilcox, paid tribute to Scotland for opening the door to such a fundamental change in the law.
She said: “Scotland, you are amazing, you make all the right decisions. I wish I was Scottish. It makes me really sad that my country cannot see this is the right approach.
“It has all the caveats to protect the vulnerable people. It doesn’t allow for the type of euthanasia people worry about.
“It’s assisted dying and assisted suicide for people with a terminal diagnosis who have been found sound of mind by two separate doctors. It doesn’t make sense to not say yes to it.”
Campaigning journalist and broadcaster Esther founded the Childline helpline for children in distress or danger in 1986 and the Silver Line for pensioners in a similar situation in 2013.
We previously told how she had backed the proposed Holyrood legislation and has considered travelling to Switzerland for an assisted death there.
Esther, 83, said: “I want to congratulate the Scottish Parliament.
“The current law is cruel, complicated and causes terrible suffering to vulnerable people. This is a life-and-death issue and I believe terminally ill patients like me need and deserve the right to choose this option if our lives become intolerable.”
terminally ill patients like me need and deserve the right to choose this option Dame esther rantzen on the Lib Dem biLL