TV presenter Esther Rantzen tells House of Lords “face the facts” and back assisted dying bill

TV legend Esther Rantzen has called on peers in the House of Lords to back assisted dying legislation, claiming a minority of politicians are trying to sabotage the new laws. She told lawmakers to “face the facts” and back the legislation, as opponents of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill face accusations of trying to “talk out” the new law as it makes its way through the upper chamber, where it will fail if it does not pass before the current parliamentary session ends in May.

Speaking to BBC’s Newsnight, Dame Esther said: “I’m just begging the House of Lords to face the facts, which is the elected chamber has voted, a majority, for this to go through. The majority of the public want and need this Bill.”

Around half of the 1,200 amendments up for consideration have been debated after 11 days of scrutiny. She added: “Please, please, let this compassionate, sensible, practical, scrutinised Bill pass the way it was intended.”

The Childline founder and former broadcaster, who was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in January 2023, said a “very small minority was always determined to sabotage this Bill no matter how it came to them”.

Dame Esther’s comments come after more than 100 Labour MPs wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to stop peers from purposefully blocking the passage of the assisted dying Bill. In total, more than 150 MPs have signed the private letter addressed to Sir Keir Starmer, including parliamentarians from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Plaid Cymru and Reform UK.

A joint letter co-ordinated by Peter Prinsley, the Labour MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, urged the Prime Minister to intervene in the situation. “While we fully respect the Government’s neutrality on the principle of assisted dying, we are confident that you would agree with us that we cannot be neutral on the fundamental democratic principle that it is for the elected House of Commons to decide on this matter,” the MP and consultant doctor said.

The Government’s stated position on the Bill is to remain neutral, as changing the law should be a matter of individual conscience for parliamentarians.

On Monday, Labour MP Jess Asato, who opposes the Bill, said it still contained “faults and issues” which were yet to be resolved in the Lords. “The sponsor of the Bill has rejected 99% of suggested improvements and amendments in the House of Lords and so it still contains all the same faults and issues," the Lowestoft MP said.

“We know this is true because the experts, such as the royal colleges and professionals have told the Lords this. Any MP that voted to push this Bill through would do so knowing that it is unsafe and would harm vulnerable people.”