Esther Rantzen on the Assisted Dying Debate
Radical with Amol Rajan
BBC
4.5 • 919 Ratings
🗓️ 27 November 2024
⏱️ 55 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
When Dame Esther Rantzen told Amol and Nick that she had joined the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland she helped reignite a debate about assisted dying in the UK. Now MPs are preparing to vote on a bill that would legalise it in England and Wales, so in this episode they catch-up with Dame Esther and speak to two MPs, Preet Kaur Gill and Warinder Singh Juss, about how their religion has influenced their thinking.
They also discuss the interview Amol did with the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, whose private members' bill could bring about this colossal social change.
The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.
To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.
If you have a question you’d like Amol and Nick to answer about presenting the Today programme or something they discuss on the podcast, get in touch by sending us a message on WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email Today@bbc.co.uk
The Today Podcast was made by Lewis Vickers with Nadia Gyane. Research and digital production was by Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | We get it. Life is busy. You want to keep up with the news, but there's just too much going on. |
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| 0:14.8 | It does mean we have to put in the hard work, though. |
| 0:17.5 | Listen to Newscast every day on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:21.6 | BBC Sounds, music, radio podcasts. |
| 0:25.4 | Well, one of the great things about doing this podcast is that we actually have the time and |
| 0:28.8 | space to look at the big stories in the depth that they deserve. |
| 0:32.7 | And there's one issue which more than any other is dominating British politics at the |
| 0:36.1 | moment and really British national life. |
| 0:39.1 | And that is the ethical and practical questions around assisted dying, |
| 0:43.3 | or as people who call themselves opponents of reform, would prefer it was labelled assisted suicide. |
| 0:49.1 | It's one of those moments where reminded the Parliament matters. |
| 0:52.3 | You know, most of the time I have people say politics, |
| 0:54.4 | boring. Punch and Judy. Here is one of those moments where Parliament is the |
| 0:59.7 | forum of the nation. It's one of those moments where people are not voting on party lines. This is |
| 1:06.2 | not a change in the law proposed by a government with well-brief ministers reading the line to take coming |
| 1:12.9 | from party HQ. This is a moment of potentially huge social change driven by a backbencher, |
| 1:21.6 | driven by someone who doesn't look or sound and isn't a part of the establishment, |
| 1:25.6 | who says public opinion has shifted and I want to change |
| 1:29.5 | the law to come into line with public opinion. And in that way, as we heard on the Today program |
| 1:34.8 | when you were presenting this morning, it's a reminder of periods of intense social change, |
| 1:41.4 | particularly at the end of the 60s when abortion was legalised first in |
... |
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