Dame Esther Rantzen Advocates for Assisted Dying Law

Dame Esther Rantzen, a prominent campaigner and founder of Childline, is advocating for a change in UK law to permit assisted dying for the terminally ill, a deeply personal cause as she herself is battling terminal lung cancer. With MPs set to enter a ballot for a Private Member’s Bill, Rantzen hopes the winning proposal will focus on assisted dying, expressing her fear of an undignified death and the impact it would have on her loved ones. She emphasizes that witnessing a painful death can erase happy memories, and she wishes for her children to retain joyful recollections of her. Rantzen has publicly joined Dignitas, the assisted dying clinic in Switzerland, as part of her determination to ensure her death is peaceful. In her plea to MPs, she highlights the urgency of this issue, stating that time is running out for many like her. Rantzen's campaign is a significant step in the ongoing debate surrounding assisted dying in the UK, reflecting both personal stakes and broader societal implications.