Dame Esther Rantzen is calling on the public to help save the assisted dying bill by sharing personal stories of “bad deaths” with MPs. The landmark legislation will run out of time in the House of Lords on Friday after shameless opponents tabled more than 1,000 amendments and filibustered to run down the clock. However, it can be revived in the next parliamentary session and forced into law — if MPs hold their nerve.
The strength of public feeling and heartbreaking accounts revealed by constituents are thought to have played a crucial role in the Commons backing an assisted dying bill for the first time in history last summer. Dame Esther is urging supporters to once more make their voices heard by writing to her and sharing end-of-life experiences, or other reasons for supporting the bill. The Express will collect your vital testimony and share it with all MPs in the coming weeks.
Writing for the Express, Dame Esther says: “There is one last chance. I am asking you now to revisit some of your most painful memories and tell me what happened. I know only too well that this is a huge favour to ask.
“If you have had to watch someone you loved dying in agony or suffering a total loss of dignity, or if you yourself face the prospect of a bad death, could you possibly write to me describing what happened, or will perhaps happen to you, and your feelings?
“The Express will collect your evidence and send it to MPs because they will have it in their power in the next session of parliament to send the bill back to the Lords without letting them block it again.”
The most likely route forward is for the legislation to be adopted by another MP as a private member’s bill. When the next parliamentary session begins, there will be a ballot where balls are drawn to decide which backbench MPs will have the opportunity to propose new laws.
Only those drawn near the top stand a realistic chance of their bill having enough time to pass. In 2024, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater was drawn first and bravely chose to introduce the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Dozens of MPs are expected to enter the next ballot with the hope of giving her bill a second chance. If it returns to the Commons via this route, it will once again need to win the support of a majority of MPs. If they vote it through a second time, it could be passed without the cooperation of the Lords, under the Parliament Act.
By writing to Dame Esther via the Express, you can help remind our elected representatives of the strength of public backing for a more compassionate system.
The 85-year-old veteran broadcaster, who is living with terminal lung cancer, added: “I know how extraordinarily moving your evidence is. I believe your true stories will have the power to inspire MP’s to change the terrible criminal law that is causing so much unnecessary suffering.”
Her plea comes after hundreds of campaigners gathered in Parliament Square on Wednesday to voice their fury at the small group of peers who have blocked progress.
Analysis by Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision found the transcript of the Committee Stage debate in the Lords is longer than War and Peace.
Dame Esther’s daughter, broadcaster Rebecca Wilcox, 46, joined the rally and condemned the “democratic vandalism” that had taken place. She added: “It is unbearable that they haven’t let a vote happen and that they’ve sabotaged it.”
The devastating human cost of peers’ dithering was also highlighted by terminally ill Sophie Blake, who has become a leading voice in the campaign while living with incurable breast cancer.
She has spent many hours in Parliament meeting with MPs and peers, tirelessly sharing her story to make the case for change. The single mum, 53, said: “Too many terminally ill people have been left to suffer at the end of life for far too long.
“The strength of support for this Bill comes from the sheer number of us who have witnessed that suffering first hand, watching people we love endure pain that could not be fully relieved, even with the very best palliative care.”
Backing Dame Esther’s appeal for personal testimonies, Sophie added: “I’ve seen the impact that real, often harrowing stories have on those who hear them. When people truly listen they cannot ignore the reality.
“Too many people are suffering and their lived experiences cannot be ignored. To continue as we are feels both cruel and so outdated.
“This is why sharing our stories matters. It cuts through politics and shows MPs and Peers that this is not theoretical, it is happening to real people, right now, across every background and every political belief.
“When so much of the world is moving forward, we cannot keep allowing this suffering to continue. Compassionate choice should be there for those who want it. It’s time to listen and it’s time to act.”
Ellie Ball, director of communications at Dignity in Dying, said: “Behind every call for assisted dying is a deeply personal story — of love, of loss, of dignity.
“When people speak openly about their experiences, they bring a human reality that statistics alone can never capture. With 1% of the Lords having thwarted progress on the Bill and the power set to return to MPs, these stories are more important than ever.
“They have the power to move hearts, shape understanding, and ultimately influence the decisions MPs make.”