'It’s about shortening death': MP behind assisted dying bill says politicians have a 'duty to give terminally ill a choice'
16 October 2024, 10:35
A Labour MP who introduced a bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales has said politicians have a "duty" to reflect the public's wishes and "give terminally ill people a choice".
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The bill, which is set to allow terminally ill adults with a limited prognosis to be given the choice of whether to end their life, was introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater at the start the month.
The MP for Spen Valley told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast that the current law is "not fit for purpose".
The bill is expected to allow terminally ill adults with a "limited prognosis" to have the option to end their life, with the MP telling LBC that politicians have a "duty" to give the terminally ill in society a choice.
"It's nearly 10 years since there was a vote in Parliament on this really important issue - public mood has shifted and parliamentarians are behind the curve," she told Nick.
It comes as the Archbishop of Canterbury labelled the bill "dangerous", adding such a bill was a "slippery slope” that could see people compelled to end their life prematurely.
Labour MP discusses the safeguarding measures that would accompany the Assisted Dying Bill
Following the comments from the senior bishop, Ms Leadbeater said she had a "huge amount of respect for Justin Welby - I understand there are concerns but important to have a debate taking all views into account."
"The reality is the current situation is not fit for purpose - people who are terminally ill taking their own lives in horrible circumstances, we have people who are suffering long, prolonged deaths and we have people who have to find £15,000 to get on a plane to Switzerland, often doing so before end of life as have to be fit enough to travel and families can be involved," she told Nick.
Adding: "It's not about ending their life - it's about shortening their death."
It comes as Dame Esther Rantzen hailed Kim Leadbeater as “an extraordinary person” after the MP introduced an assisted dying bill to Parliament.
Dame Esther, 85, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2023, and has previously appealed to the government to make time for Parliament to debate and vote freely on the matter.
The 84-year-old Childline founder has been a prominent figure in pushing for the law change and revealed in December she had joined the Swiss Dignitas clinic.
Her stance contrasts that of the Archbishop, who spoke from experience following the death of his own mother.
Archbishop Welby has previously spoken of being unconcerned that opinion polls suggested the Church of England's stance stood in contrast to wider public opinion.
Discussing Ms Leadbeater on Tonight with Andrew Marr earlier this year, Dame Esther said: “She’s so impressive. She’s entirely motivated by the desire to make a positive difference for people.”
The 84-year-old Childline founder has been a prominent figure in pushing for the law change and revealed in December she had joined the Swiss Dignitas clinic.
When asked if her plan is to still travel to Dignitas alone at the end of her life, Dame Esther told Andrew: “Yes, absolutely. I don't assume that I will be around long enough for the law to change.
