'We have given our politicians the tools, now they must finish the job...'

DAME Esther Rantzen has urged Members of Parliament to find the courage to reform assisted dying laws, declaring: "You have the tools, now finish the job."

-  Giles Sheldrick

Writing in the Express, the campaigner paraphrases wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill in 1941 as she tells lawmakers the will of the people must not be ignored.

It follows the stunning success of a petition demanding an immediate right-to-die debate, which was backed by the TV presenter and charity Dignity in Dying. It gathered 112,000 signatures in just a month.

The extraordinary outpouring of support means the Government must now consider a full House of Commons debate - but parliamentary time is running out.

Our petition was launched on January 8 and had six months to reach its target. That it was met so quickly shows it is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Assisting someone to die is currently punishable as murder or manslaughter and carries a 14-year jail term. The matter has not been debated by MPs since 2015.

Widowed grandmother-of-five Dame Esther, 83, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer last January. She said: "This is a vital step forward. It shows how many people feel very strongly the time has come to allow us all to make this choice. It's our life, it should be our choice. Thank you to everyone for your support. It is an historic moment and a moving and impressive example of people power."

The indefatigable octogenarian has spent a lifetime campaigning against injustice and is known to millions for fronting That's Life! from 1973 until 1994. She also founded Childline in 1986 and The Silver Line in 2013, helplines for abused and neglected youngsters and lonely older people.