Prue Leith and MP son Danny Kruger debate assisted suicide in new documentary

Bake Off judge Prue Leith debates assisted suicide with her MP son Danny Kruger in a documentary to be aired this week.

Leith, a patron of assisted suicide pressure group Dignity in Dying, wants a change in the law but Kruger strongly disagrees.

The Channel 4 documentary sees the pair travel to North America to meet supporters and opponents of the practice.

Kruger says: "You can dress it up by talking about doctors and syringes, but it is a deliberate decision to end a life.

"It's a very, very sinister scenario in which there is a cadre of state employees who decide who should live and who should die.

"We are incapable of doing this safely. In every jurisdiction where assisted dying is available, it is abused.

He adds: "There are lots of people, my mum for example, for whom assisted dying feels like a right anybody should have."

"Once you've started down the road of allowing doctors to decide some people are better off dead, you'll inevitably end up expanding the criteria.

"People will find a way to include those for whom it was never intended. People might find themselves under pressure".

"There are many who feel themselves to be an expensive burden – whether that's on their family or the healthcare system."

Both mother and son both hope their documentary will kick start a national debate about end-of-life issues in the UK.

Kruger says "better conversations" are needed. "There is value in the taboo, we shouldn't trivialise it, but we need to talk about it more."

Prue Leith adds: 'The country needs a vigorous debate. If this prompts a bit of thinking about death, it will be good.'

The pair also agree the UK requires more and better palliative care, to ensure every person receives the support at the end.

The documentary ,'Prue And Danny's Death Road Trip', is on Channel Four on Thursday at 9pm.