Assisted dying could be made legal in Scotland after an MP said he was “absolutely convinced” legislation would be passed in parliament.
Dame Esther Rantzen’s Support
Dame Esther Rantzen recently made it her mission to fight for the legalisation of assisted dying in the UK.
Scotland On Verge of Assisted Dying
In Scotland, critical legislation is on the verge of being signed to give terminally ill patients a choice to ease their suffering.
Consideration of the Assisted Dying Bill
Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur will present a Bill at the Scottish Parliament potentially legalising a terminally ill patient’s choice to end their life.
Dame Esther Rantzen’s Diagnosis
Former British TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen was recently diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer at the age of 83.
Scotland’s Historic Feat
Dame Esther praised the Scottish Parliament for considering legalising assisted dying, hailing the feat as “historic.”
Views On Current Laws
Dame Esther Rantzen described the current UK stigma and laws surrounding assisted dying as “cold,” arguing they force a painful death on sufferers.
McArthur’s Confidence In Vote
Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur expressed confidence that the bill will be passed after Dame Esther’s long campaign.
McArthur “Absolutely Convinced”
McArthur said he was “absolutely convinced” the bill would be passed, describing the potential new law as a “long overdue reform.”
Dame Esther Speaks With Labour
Dame Esther sent her congratulations to the Scottish parliament ahead of the vote after speaking with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer about possibly legalising assisted dying in England.
Dame Esther’s Statement
Dame Esther said, “I want to congratulate them for prioritising this debate so that they can carefully consider this crucial issue and scrutinise this historic assisted dying Bill.”
Unnecessary Suffering
According to Dame Esther, “The current law is cruel, complicated and causes terrible suffering to vulnerable people.”
Speaking From Experience
Throughout her campaign, Dame Esther revealed she had “received dozens of letters from people describing the agonising deaths of those they loved.”
Considering Assisted Dying
Dame Esther made it public that she is considering going to Switzerland to end her own life, the only European country where the practice is currently legal.
Importance of Choice
Dame Esther called the situation a “life and death issue” arguing that patients should have the “right to choose this option” if their lives become “intolerable.”
Talks With Labour Leader
Dame Esther recently held talks with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer about whether he would legalise assisted dying in the UK if elected.
Labour Leader Gives Green Light
The Labour leader insisted that he would give the green light for Parliament to vote on the issue in a touching conversation with the veteran TV personality.
Starmer Open to Assisted Dying Rights
Starmer admitted that he was personally “in favour” of changing the law, although it would be decided by a free vote in Parliament.
Starmer’s Promise to Dame Esther
Starmer told Dame Esther that he would cast the vote in the next five years, “We will make the commitment. Esther, I can give you that commitment right now,” he said.
Important Milestone
Dignity in Dying, an organisation fighting for the legalisation of assisted dying, called the Scottish legislation an “important milestone towards terminally ill people in Scotland.”
UK to Legalise Assisted Dying
The UK is looking likely to have assisted dying made legal earlier than expected after Dame Esther Rantzen shared her experiences.
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The post Should Assisted Dying Be Made Legal? Absolutely, Says Scottish MP first appeared on Edge Media.
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