Markus Andrews

Esther Rantzen’s daughter urges MPs to rethink religious vote on assisted dying billYour support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreMPs are primed to start debating the assisted dying bill on Friday morning in the House of Commons, as the politician who brought forward the legislation admitted the vote would be “close”.The private members bill from Labour MP Kim Leadbeater will be the subject of a five-hour debate starting at 9.30am on Friday.Ms Leadbeater told BBC Breakfast earlier this week that she thought the vote would be “very close” and that the proposed legislation would receive “hours and hours” of scrutiny.Former prime ministers Gordon Brown, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson and Baroness Theresa May have all come out against the bill, but David Cameron has backed the move to legalise assisted dying.At a press conference to discuss today’s migration figures Sir Keir Starmer said the vote was “genuinely free” for all MPs and that the government would remain neutral.He said: “I’ve obviously got a huge amount of interest and experience in this having looked at every single case for five years that was ever investigated.”He added: “I will therefore be casting my vote tomorrow.”MPs primed to debate assisted dying billMPs are primed to start debating the assisted dying bill tomorrow morning in the House of Commons, as the politician who brought forward the legislation admitted the vote would be “close”.The private members bill from Labour MP Kim Leadbeater will be the subject of a five-hour debate starting at 9.30am on Friday.Ms Leadbeater told BBC Breakfast earlier this week that she thought the vote would be “very close” and that the proposed legislation would receive “hours and hours” of scrutiny.Labour MP Kim Leadbeater admitted the vote would be close More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreThe biggest social change in Britain in five decades could be shepherded in by the closest of margins on Friday. A historic vote among MPs over whether or not to legalise assisted dying appears to be on a knife edge, with those in support thought to be narrowly in the lead. If passed, it could lead to the most significant reform in British society since the abolition of the death penalty in 1965 and the introduction of abortion two years later. Campaigners protest outside parliament ahead of a debate in the House of Commons on assisted dying More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreA social media ban for young children is “a brilliant idea” for tackling abuse, the chair of a domestic violence charity has said.Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, chair of Refuge charity, emphasised the link between an increase in schoolchildren experiencing sexual harassment and abuse and social media after she was made a CBE on Thursday.Speaking after the ceremony at Buckingham Palace, Ms Barkworth-Nanton referenced the news that the Australian Senate had passed a social media ban for under 16s, saying it was “absolutely the right way to go”.“Personally, I think it’s a brilliant idea, and I think it ties really neatly in with the work we do around tech abuse,” she said.“If you can do it in a way in which you don’t isolate young people, which is the other challenge, and we can turn that into the norm, then I think it’s absolutely the right way to go,” she added.Ms Barkworth-Nanton, who is also the co-founder and patron of the Joanna Simpson Foundation, was honoured by the Princess Royal for services to people affected by domestic abuse and homicide.She said: “We are seeing something like well over 30% of young girls in schools are saying that they have experienced sexual harassment or abuse, and that is direct result of social media and often that’s being done on social media so that images are being shared.”Asked what could be done to prevent young people accessing harmful content, Ms Barkworth-Nanton said schools should be “proactive” in banning phones and that social media and technology companies need to “work together” to ensure algorithms do not “specifically target dangerous content to young people.”We are seeing something like well over 30% of young girls in schools are saying that they have experienced sexual harassment or abuse, and that is direct result of social media and often that’s being done on social media so that images are being shared.Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, chair of domestic violence charity RefugeOn ending domestic violence, she said: “The most important thing would be absolutely the education situation today in our schools, brought on by influencers like Andrew Tate and ready access to pornography, where young boys are abusing young girls in our schools, and that’s the generation that’s growing up.”An “absolute overhaul” of the criminal justice system is also needed, she added, as many survivors do not report abuse to police as they do not trust they will “get the right response.”One in five adults experiences domestic abuse in their lifetime, and it is estimated that around three women die by suicide as a result of domestic abuse every week.Every 30 seconds, someone calls 999 about domestic abuse, however it is estimated that less than 24% of the crime is reported to police. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCoercion by doctors and other members of the medical profession poses one of the biggest dangers to vulnerable, elderly and disabled people if assisted dying is legalised, a leading consultant has warned.Baroness Llora Finlay, a consultant in palliative care and a member of the House of Lords, told The Independent that “it is often almost impossible” to detect coercion in patients.She has raised her concerns about the problem of coercion ahead of tomorrow’s historic debate in the Commons when MPs will consider Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying Bill.Her comments came after Canadian Roger Foley also warned UK MPs of a slippery slope, alleging that medics in his country, where assisted dying has been legalised, had tried to persuade him to end his own life because he suffers from spinocerebellar ataxia, a severe neurodegenerative disease.Baroness Finlay told The Independent ‘it is often almost impossible’ to dectect coercion in patients(PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreSir Keir Starmer has accused the Conservatives of using Brexit to run a “one-nation experiment in open borders” after eye-watering migration figures revealed that more than 900,000 people entered the UK in 2023.The prime minister described the figures as “shocking” and pledged that his government would bring the numbers down with “hard graft” and by taking a tough approach with businesses.Sir Keir made clear his view that voters had been betrayed after they were persuaded to narrowly back Brexit in 2016 with a promise that it would bring down immigration. He accused the Tories of deliberately pursuing the opposite policy.In a press conference in Downing Street on Thursday, the prime minister said the Conservatives were responsible for a “different order of failure” that had happened “by design, not accident”.He highlighted how his government had inherited a crisis in Britain’s prisons and a £22bn black hole in the public finances, but said the migration figures were worse.The figures came less than 24 hours after new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch admitted that Brexit had failed and that her party had failed the country on immigration.Sir Keir said: “Time and again the Conservative Party promised they would get the numbers down. Time and again they failed, and now the chorus of excuses has begun.”Keir Starmer says the Conservatives were responsible for a ‘different order of failure’ More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreNigel Farage has said parliament should debate imposing stricter limits on abortion for women, saying the current timeline may need to be shortened.The legal limit for a woman to have an abortion is 24 weeks’ gestation, but the Reform UK leader said that some babies are now saved after being born at 22 weeks, and questioned whether the current limit is set too late.Speaking to reporters after a Reform UK press conference, Mr Farage said: “You know, is 24 weeks right for abortion, given that we now save babies at 22? That, to me, would be worthy of a debate in parliament.”Nigel Farage questioned whether the current time limit for abortions is set too late More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead more British lawmakers are expected to vote Friday on a law proposed to help terminally ill adults end their lives.The contentious bill would allow adults expected to have fewer than six months to live to request and be provided with help to end their life, subject to safeguards and protections. Members of Parliament (MPs), who have been holding emotional meetings with constituents and searching their souls, are due to debate the issue that crosses political lines.Supporters say the law would provide dignity to the dying and prevent unnecessary suffering. Opponents say it would put vulnerable people at risk, fearing that some would be coerced to end their lives and that some elderly or disabled people may opt for death so they don’t become a burden. A vote in favor of the bill would send it to another round of hearings. A vote against it would kill it.Here’s a look at what’s in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and the next steps: What is happening? The House of Commons hasn’t debated an assisted dying bill since 2015 when a similar measure failed. Debate is scheduled for five hours and more than 150 members have reportedly signed up to speak. It is expected to be followed by a close vote.Although the current bill was proposed by a member of the ruling center-left Labour Party, it is an open vote with no pressure from the government on supporting it.Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has previously supported assisted dying, said the government will remain neutral and he wouldn’t reveal how he would vote. Some members of his cabinet have said they will support the bill, while others are against it.Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, along with three former Conservative prime ministers — Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Theresa May — have publicly opposed the bill, though they are no longer in the House of Commons and can’t vote. Former Tory Prime Minister David Cameron supports it. If the bill passes the first stage in the House of Commons, it will face further scrutiny and votes in both Houses of Parliament.If ultimately approved, any new law is unlikely to come into effect within the next two to three years, supporters say. What does the bill propose? Under the proposed legislation, only those over 18 years old in England and Wales and who are expected to die within six months can request assisted dying. They must have the mental capacity to make a choice about the end of their life and will be required to make two separate declarations about their wish to die. Labour lawmaker Kim Leadbeater, who proposed the bill, said the law has robust safeguards built in and contains “three layers of scrutiny” — two independent doctors and a High Court judge will have to sign off on any decision. Anyone found guilty of pressuring, coercing or dishonestly getting someone to make a declaration that they wish to die will face up to 14 years in prison. Assisted suicide is currently banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Someone who helps a person end their life can be prosecuted and face up to 14 years in prison. Who will administer the medication? The patient must self-administer the life-ending medication. No doctor or anyone else can give the medication. No health professional is under any obligation to provide assistance to the patient.Doctors who do take part would have to be satisfied the person making their declaration to die has done so voluntarily. They also must ensure the person is making an informed choice. Do other countries have similar laws? One argument supporting the bill is that wealthy individuals can travel to Switzerland, which allows foreigners to go there to legally end their lives, while others have to face possible prosecution for helping their loves ones to die.Esther Rantzen, 84, a broadcaster dying of lung cancer, has urged passage of the bill so others don’t have to do what she plans to do by traveling to Switzerland to legally end her life. She urged all 650 MPs to attend the hearing.“This is such a vital life and death issue, one that we the public care desperately about,” Rantzen said in a public letter. “It is only right that as many MPs as possible listen to the arguments for and against, and make up your own minds, according to your own conscience, your personal thoughts and feelings.”Other countries that have legalized assisted suicide include Australia, Belgium, Canada and parts of the United States, with regulations on who is eligible varying by jurisdiction. Assisted suicide is different from euthanasia, allowed in the Netherlands and Canada, which involves healthcare practitioners administering a lethal injection at the patient’s request in specific circumstances. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreNigel Farage has said a Reform UK MP who was jailed for repeatedly kicking his girlfriend deserves “Christian forgiveness”.The party leader said James McMurdock, who claimed after being elected that he had “pushed” a partner after a previous assault conviction was revealed, has “been forgiven”.It emerged that Mr McMurdock was jailed 18 years ago for repeatedly kicking his girlfriend, after The Times applied to the courts for information from the official record of his sentencing.He did not publicly disclose his conviction for assault before being elected and claimed he had “pushed” his partner when details were first revealed this summer.Nigel Farage said James McMurdock deserved ‘Christian forgiveness’ More