Esther Rantzen Says House Of Lords Should Be Abolished As Assisted Dying Bill Faces Axe

Esther Rantzen has called for the abolition of the House of Lords after it emerged a bill legalising assisted dying in England and Wales is set to run out of time.

The former TV presenter, who has terminal lung cancer, said it was “a disgrace” that unelected peers were able to effectively block the will of MPs.

The House of Commons voted 314-291 last June to allow the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to proceed to third reading.

It is a private member’s bill brought forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.

However, it has become bogged down in the Lords as peers opposed to the legislation tabled more than 1,000 amendments to it.

Sky News reported that ministers are unwilling to allow more parliamentary time to be devoted to the bill, meaning it will not become law.

Rantzen, who persuaded Keir Starmer to back her calls for parliament to be given a fresh say on legalising assisted dying, told the broadcaster it was “absolute blatant sabotage” by the Lords.

She said: “A few peers, for their own reasons, have decided that they’re going to stop this going through parliament, and the only way to stop them would be to invoke the Parliament Act, which has happened before, or get rid of the House of Lords. They’re clearly not fit for purpose.”

The Parliament Act allows the Commons to overrule the Lords, but it is rarely used.

Under the bill, terminally ill adults with less than six months left to live would be allowed to legally end their lives at at time when they choose instead of suffering though a prolonged illness.

The proposals stipulate that an individual must have the mental capacity to make the choice, make two separate declarations – witnessed and signed – about their desire to die, and have approval from two independent doctors that they are eligible.

A survey last year found 73% of Brits back the idea, while 72% support Leadbeater’s proposals.

Rantzen said: “The general population wants the law to change. Every survey shows this. The majority of the public understand the cruelty and, ridiculous provisions of the current criminal law, which doesn’t criminalise suicide but does criminalise families who want to say goodbye to loved ones when life becomes unbearable and they want the choice of a quick, pain free death.

“This law would allow people like me not to shorten my life, but to shorten my death.”

The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Our position is that it’s absolutely right that bills face the appropriate scrutiny, it’s what the parliamentary process is there for.”