by David Maddox and Millie Cooke, Independent
MPs in emotional debate over the penultimate stage of Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill in Commons
Health secretary Wes Streeting became involved in an extraordinary attack on Dame Esther Rantzen as the Commons debate over assisted dying grew fractious.
The broadcaster and campaigner, who has stage 4 cancer and is a leading advocate of assisted dying, had criticised MPs who oppose Kim Leadbeater’s controversial bill as having “undeclared religious beliefs”.
Labour MP Jess Asato described the intervention as “distasteful and disrespectful” in a post on X/Twitter that was subsequently retweeted by Mr Streeting.
The row came during an ill-tempered debate over the report stage of the bill, where MPs backed an amendment to allow NHS workers to opt out of assisted dying cases.
During angry scenes, a point of order was made against Ms Leadbeater after she disappeared from the Commons for around 45 minutes during the debate.
“Is it not a discourtesy to the House and those who have spent some considerable time working on amendments on both sides of the argument, for her not to be here, to hear what they are advocating?”, said Conservative former minister Simon Hoare.
Ahead of the clashes in the Commons, Dame Esther’s daughter Rebecca Wilcox told The Independent: “Sir Keir [Starmer] promised mum it would happen. I think if he promised mum it would happen and then it doesn’t happen, he might need to run for the hills. Because you don’t cross my mum.”
Addressing critics of the bill, Ms Wilcox said she doesn’t believe there is “a God out there that would punish me for not wanting my mum to have a painful death”.