Dame Esther Rantzen’s daughter has appealed for the public and MPs to grant her mum’s birthday wish by supporting the assisted dying bill on Friday. A crunch vote on the landmark legislation will take place just days before the veteran broadcaster is due to celebrate a milestone she once feared she would not see, when she turns 85 on Sunday.
Rebecca Wilcox, 45, told the Express: “If the bill passes [Friday’s] vote, it will be an absolutely wonderful 85th birthday present for my mother and our family — and will give hope to thousands of terminally ill people today and for years to come. Please help to grant this wish for everyone in the future who would benefit from a more compassionate law by writing to your MP and reminding them that the majority of the public supports this crucial change. MPs, please listen to those you represent and give us choice over our deaths.”
Dame Esther recently revealed that a wonder cancer drug she was taking had stopped working but said she was trying another treatment.
Asked about her mum’s health on Wednesday, Rebecca told Sky News she was “coping”. She said: “This has been a long slog and we’re hoping that we can maybe have a rest this weekend, particularly as it is her birthday on Sunday.
“We are so grateful and so appreciative of all the time that we have with her, particularly as she turns 85 looking rather fabulous.”
Rebecca will join a major rally in Parliament Square on Friday morning, where campaigners will show their support for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ahead of a tense third reading.
The result is expected to be closer than the second reading in November, when MP’s backed the legislation by a majority of 55. At least 20 MPs have publicly indicated that they will change their votes, with most turning against the bill.
Broadcaster Rebecca said it was “completely confusing and discombobulating to know which way we should be feeling about it” as the vote approaches.
She added: “We are really hopeful that we have the numbers. We obviously want people to keep writing to their MP, saying that they support the bill, because we know that nationally the numbers are with us.
“When every county has been polled, the majority do want a change to the law, the majority do want an assisted dying law that is safe, that respects the end of life care, that has dignity for those that are dying.”
Childline founder Dame Esther revealed in December 2023 that she had registered with Dignitas following a terminal lung cancer diagnosis.
The lifelong campaigner said she did not want her family to be left with painful memories of the end of her life because “that memory obliterates all the happy times”.
Her candid comments resonated with millions of Britons and she became an accidental figurehead for a fresh push to legalise assisted dying, backed by the Express Give Us Our Last Rights crusade.
Rebecca described the bill introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater as a “really clever, safe piece of law that will stop the cruel status quo that exists at the moment”.
And she stressed that her mother is no longer fighting for her own right to die with medical help, but for others who will find themselves facing a similar diagnosis.
She said: “This bill was never going to be something that would come into effect to help my family. This is for everybody out there in the future.”
Rebecca also hit back at “scaremongering” opponents who spread misinformation about the scope of the bill and potential consequences of changing the law.
Asked whether legalising assisted dying could change attitudes towards suicide, particularly among people with mental health issues, she said: “I have had my own mental health struggles.
“I would never want somebody at their lowest ebb to think that this bill is corroborating suicide. It isn’t. All it is doing is shortening death.
“You are already dying, it is those last few days, those last few hours, and it gives the patient some ease. It is not saying, ‘we as a country think suicide is an admirable thing or a viable response to whatever it is you’re going through’.
“It’s saying, ‘you’re dying, palliative care is no longer helping, drugs are no longer helping, this is the only thing that will ease your suffering — this is the humane, dignified choice that you are being offered at the end of your life’.”
Rebecca, who serves as deputy president for Childline, also reflected on what the future may hold if the bill falls on Friday. She accepted that this would be an “absolutely fair process” and “democracy in action”.
But she vowed to continue the fight, saying: “I have appreciated every single moment that I have had the privilege to be part of this campaign, to witness the fantastic MPs in Parliament standing up on both sides of the debate and giving such impassioned and careful, calm reasons for why they believe one way or the other way.
“If this doesn’t go the way I really want it to go on Friday, I’m not giving up. Thousands of people out there are going through things my mother is going through right now.
“There is no way I can give up, it’s not something I think is available to me, as much as I would love to have some time off.”
Efforts to legalise assisted dying have previously swelled every 15-20 years as Parliament looks at the issue again.
Rebecca added: “I’ll be a little bit older, a little bit greyer, but no less vocal and strong-willed that this needs to happen. This country needs to catch up with the rest of the world.
“There are 300 million people out there around the world who have access to this law. We need to catch up with that, we need to show we are an empathetic country that appreciates choice at the end of your life.”
- When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.