Esther Rantzen thanks petition backers as ministers say MPs can bring in right to die law

Dame Esther Rantzen has expressed her heartfelt thanks to more than 125,000 petition backers after the Government promised it “would not stand in the way” if MPs want to legalise assisted dying.

The Childline founder, who sparked a passionate national debate by revealing her stage four lung cancer diagnosis and wish to die on her own terms, said she was “so pleased” with the response.

She added: “I know this is due to our petition, so heartfelt thanks to everyone who signed it.

“But because time is running out before an election, we still need every party to guarantee that this debate is in their manifesto.

“So let’s all write to our MPs expressing our deep concern that all of us must be given this crucial choice.”

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Dame Esther, who has registered with Swiss assisted dying clinic Dignitas, has described how she hopes to enjoy a “fantastic dinner” with caviar and champagne before ending her life.

The broadcaster’s brave decision to speak out about wanting to die at a time and place of her choosing struck a chord with thousands across the nation.

The Daily Express Give Us Our Last Rights crusade calls for terminally ill people who are mentally competent and expected to die within six months to be given the option of requesting medical assistance to end their lives.

Our petition in support of Dame Esther, backed by campaigners Dignity in Dying, launched on January 8. It surged to more than 100,000 signatures within a month in a clear demonstration of the strength of public feeling.

In a written response addressing the outpouring of support, the Ministry of Justice said it had “the utmost sympathy” for those in Dame Esther’s position.

“Whether there are any circumstances in which it should not be an offence to assist another person to die is something on which there are passionately held but deeply divided views,” it added.

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Our petition calls for the Government to allocate Parliamentary time for assisted dying to be fully debated in the House of Commons – and to give MPs a vote on the issue.

Backed by Dame Esther and Dignity in Dying, it will run until July 5.

If the petition reaches 10,000 signatures, the Government will provide a written response.

Now it has passed 100,000 supporters, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

Please add your voice to our call if you believe that dying people in the UK should have the option to end their lives with dignity, subject to strict eligibility criteria and safeguards.

You can sign by visiting petition.parliament.uk/petitions/653593

The Ministry said the matter was therefore “an issue of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than one for government policy”.

But it said: “If the will of Parliament is that the law on assisting suicide should change, the Government would not stand in its way, but would seek to ensure that the law could be enforced in the way that Parliament intended.”

The statement also noted that despite “pressure on the government’s timetable”, there are routes for MPs to bring forward debates or introduce private members’ bills.

Independent polls have repeatedly shown that around three quarters of people are in favour of legalising assisted dying, with strict safeguards.

MPs last voted on the issue in September 2015, when the House of Commons rejected an assisted dying bill by 330 votes to 118.

But campaigners are confident that the tide is turning, with more parliamentarians expressing support in recent years.

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Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, said the swell of public backing showed the can could no longer be kicked down the road.

She said: “The pressure for law change on assisted dying has reached a tipping point.

“The huge response to the petition and the outpouring of public support after Dame Esther Rantzen shared her plans to die at Dignitas have created a demand for reform that cannot be ignored.

“With progress in Jersey, Scotland and the Isle of Man this year, all eyes are on Westminster to act.”

The MoJ’s confirmation that it will act on MPs’ wishes comes days after the Prime Minister made the same promise to assisted dying campaigner Matt Minns.

Matt, 44, told Rishi Sunak about his father David and sister Katie’s traumatic deaths from cancer during a visit to Downing Street this week.

Mr Sunak told him: “If parliament decided that it wanted to change the law then of course the government would facilitate doing that in a way that was legally effective.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also indicated that he would support giving MPs a free vote on the issue.

Ms Wootton added: “The PM and the Leader of the Opposition have now confirmed they will make time for debate available in the next Parliament and this response from the Government is a welcome clarification that it will expedite the will of Parliament.

“The leaders of the other political parties should follow Sunak and Starmer’s lead and confirm assisted dying law reform must be given time in the next Parliament.

“Every candidate in the forthcoming general election will be asked if they believe it’s time for choice or whether they are defending a cruel and outdated status quo.”

The Petitions Committee, made up of 11 MPs, is now expected to set a date for a parliamentary debate on assisted dying.

And the Commons Health and Social Care Committee is due to publish the findings of its assisted dying inquiry shortly.