Journalist Dame Esther Rantzen urges Jersey's politicians to pass assisted dying law
Fred Dimbleby spoke to Dame Esther Rantzen and other campaigners in the assisted dying debate.
Dame Esther Rantzen has called on Jersey's politicians to "give us all the choice" when they decide whether to legalise assisted dying in May.
The journalist, who has stage four lung cancer and has signed up with an assisted dying clinic in Switzerland, was reacting to a report by MPs which warned the UK government must consider what to do if the law is changed in another part of the British Isles.
Dame Esther told ITV News: "21st May is my late husband's birthday and he will be with you in spirit because it was an issue that he really cared about and I learnt a great deal from him.
"I would say to Jersey politicians, for individuals for me, my late husband and so many residents of Jersey, which is somewhere I love to visit, please give us all the choice."
She added the law in the UK is a "legal mess" that needs "clearing up" and hopes "politicians in Westminster will recognise how strongly the public feel" as she called again for a debate and vote on assisted dying there.
However, it is a polarising and complex issue with a public consultation in Jersey highlighting concerns from some that vulnerable people may feel under pressure to end their lives.
Following a long and emotional debate in November 2021, Jersey States' members voted overwhelmingly in favour of legalising assisted dying in the island, in principle.
Since then, the Assembly has been working on the proposed legislation that is due to be debated and then voted on by politicians on Tuesday 21 May.
It is expected to only cover certain cases such as when an adult who has lived on the island for at least a year is terminally ill.
They must also be able to make a voluntary and informed decision.
As part of the law drafting process, an ethical review last November recommended that "unbearing suffering" should not be an acceptable reason to allow a person to die as it is too vague and open to interpretation.
The UK's Health and Social Care Committee report concluded that legalisation in at least one jurisdiction was looking "increasingly likely" and suggested the British Government must be "actively involved" in discussions about how to approach differences in the law.
The Chair of the Committee, Steve Brine MP, said that Jersey was "leading the way" on the issue and told ITV News: "Other parts of the islands, Jersey and the Isle of Man ... are actively considering a change in the law at the moment and if were to happen it would have implications for Westminster and we can't just bury our head into the sand."