Several celebrities have spoken out about their opinions on assisted dying ahead of the upcoming parliament debate on the subject in the UK. Euthanasia is currently illegal in the country and can be prosecuted as murder or manslaughter. This debate marks the first attempt to change the law in a decade.
One of the celebrities who has joined the conversation is Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill with lung cancer and has joined the Swiss organization Dignitas, which provides physician-assisted dying. She has spoken out about the importance of having the dignity of choice in deciding about one’s own life.
Liz Carr, a Silent Witness actor, has tackled the subject of assisted dying in her documentary “Better Off Dead?” in which she explores the chilling reality of an assisted dying clinic in Canada. Prue Leith, a Great British Bake Off judge, is also an avid campaigner for assisted dying, citing her brother’s painful death from bone cancer as a driving force for her support.
Blur drummer Dave Rowntree has criticized the current UK law on assisted dying as “psychopathic” and has expressed anger at the lack of options for terminally ill individuals. Kirstie Allsopp, a property star, has also spoken out in favor of assisted dying, stating that it is about the right to choose and highlighting the importance of giving people options when faced with a terminal illness.
These celebrities’ voices add to the ongoing national conversation surrounding assisted dying in the UK, as parliament prepares to debate potential changes to the law.
Source
Photo credit uk.news.yahoo.com