Blair 'helping' Scottish Labour with SNP election battle

It is expected to be a large part of Labour's campaigning next May as it seeks to make the problems in the NHS a central issue.
It reportedly working on how to improve access to GPs and use technology to drive down waiting lists. There is no fee involved in the work.
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The former PM is a controversial figure inside and outwith Labour despite being the only person to lead the party to consecutive election wins.
Mr Blair led Labour between 1995 and 2007. He was Prime Minister from 1997 for 10 years, winning three general elections.
Scotland's NHS is facing huge problems, with one in six Scots on a waiting list for treatment.
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman, told The Times: 'Our NHS is stretched to breaking point and technology is a way to ease that pressure — but the SNP is squandering the opportunity.
"From GP practices using fax machines to doctors relying on pagers, the SNP is running an analogue health service in a digital age. GPs have been sounding the alarm about how a woeful lack of basic IT is holding them back — it's time we have a government that will listen.
'A Scottish Labour government will put Scotland on the cutting edge of medical innovation and modernise our NHS so it is fit for the future.'
A Tony Blair Institute spokesman said: 'We are always happy to talk to any and all political parties who are interested in our work, all of which is published and publicly available."
SNP MSP Clare Haughey said: 'That Anas Sarwar is taking advice on health from an organisation which has previously called for the selling of NHS patient's data for money is truly beyond belief.
'It is unbelievable that Scottish Labour are looking to the man that led us into the disastrous Iraq war to tell them what is best for Scotland.
"Labour have nothing positive to offer Scotland - rather than listening to the people of Scotland, Labour are relying on the advice of has-beens like Tony Blair.
"The SNP is the only party with a clear plan to build a better future for Scotland - improving our NHS, supporting families and workers through the cost-of-living crisis and creating new opportunities with the powers of independence."

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Edinburgh Reporter

an hour ago

• Edinburgh Reporter

Nikki is guest of honour at Pretty Muddy

At Cancer Research UK's Race For Life on Sunday the guest of honour, Nikki Milligan sent everyone on their way. She attended along with her partner Jason McFarlane and their daughters Zoe, aged six, and Abbie who is one year old. Nikki sounded the starter horn to start all the 1,500 participants off on the muddy race round the obstacle course in The Meadows. The race raised around £160,000 for cancer research. Nikki picked up a medal after completing the 5K Pretty Muddy with her childhood friend Claire Wright. Afterwards she said: 'I am incredibly grateful to be here to raise my two girls. 'It's hard to put in to words exactly how it feels to be healthy and surrounded by love. This summer will mark three years of me being in remission from cancer. I will forever be thankful to my family for their unwavering support and to the NHS for getting me better. 'I'm proud to be able to help others. I want to support research for people going through cancer right now and to help find better treatments for my daughters' generation.' Nikki recalls vividly the uncertainty she felt on January 13 2022 when doctors at the Western General Hospital told her she had Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. She had first contacted her GP in December the year before after a lump had appeared near her collar bone and she had suffered symptoms including night sweats. She had an x-ray after blood tests indicated there may be an issue and only hours after the x-ray the GP called her. Nikki said: 'I thought the x-ray results would take around 10 days to come so when my GP called me back the same day I knew the news wouldn't be good. 'They'd found a tumour on my neck and my chest. I had a biopsy on Christmas eve 2021. My daughter was only three at the time and going through Christmas waiting for those final January results was hard.' Nikki lost her hair to the side effects of treatment. She had six months of chemotherapy in total including two stays in hospital. But on August 18 2022, she completed her final session, after which it took time to build back strength. Just months later, Nikki was overjoyed to discover she was pregnant again. Her younger daughter Abbie was born on December 26 2023. Nikki said: 'I feel so lucky. After treatment for cancer, I didn't even know if I'd be able to have another child but here we are blessed with our Boxing Day baby.' Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK's spokesperson in Scotland, said: 'We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took part in Pretty Muddy Edinburgh. 'No matter how cancer affects us, life is worth racing for. Sadly nearly 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime but all of us can support the research that will beat it. We're proud that Race for Life has had such a positive impact. Every pound raised supports our life-saving work, which has helped double cancer survival in the UK over the last 50 years. 'It was a fantastic day at Pretty Muddy Edinburgh, full of emotion, courage, tears, laughter and hope as people celebrated the lives of those dear to them who have survived cancer and remembered loved ones lost to the disease. 'Now we're asking everyone who took part to return the money they're raised as soon as possible. Every donation, every pound raised will make a real difference. ' Diane Graham, a volunteer from the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh superstore at Corstorphine also completed Pretty Muddy. She took part along with CRUK superstore manager Steven Storrier who celebrated his 52nd birthday over the weekend. Steven said: 'I can think of no better way to celebrate my birthday. 'Almost every day in the superstore people share with us their reasons for supporting Cancer Research UK. I am in awe of our customers who do so much to support the charity. Pretty Muddy is a chance for me to give a little bit back.' Pretty Muddy in Edinburgh ALL PHOTOS © Lesley Martin/Lesley Martin Photography 22 June 2025 © Lesley Martin/Lesley Martin Photography 22 June 2025 Left to right Claire Wight, 31, and Nikki Milligan, 31 Left to right Zoe McFarlane, 6, dad Jason McFarlane, mum Nikki Milligan and Abbie McFarlane, one Mum of two Nikki Milligan in remission from cancer is the official starter at Cancer Research UK's Pretty Muddy Edinburgh Pretty Muddy in the Meadows Right to left Nikki Milligan in remission from cancer crosses the finish line of Pretty Muddy Edinburgh with daughter Zoe, six, and her friend Claire Wight People take part in CRUK Pretty Muddy in The Meadows, Edinburgh. ©Lesley Martin/Lesley Martin Photography Like this: Like Related

Edinburgh Reporter

an hour ago

• Edinburgh Reporter

By-election June 2025 – Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart

A by-election will be held this week to fill the vacant council seat in Edinburgh following the sudden death of Labour councillor, Val Walker in April. Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 26 June 22025 and will be positioned at: Kingsknowe Golf Club Edinburgh Corn Exchange St Michaels Church Hall Fountainbridge Library Boroughmuir Rugby & Community Sports Club Craiglockhart Parish Church Hall Tollcross Community Centre The electronic election count will take place on Thursday 26 June starting at the close of poll at 10pm. The candidates standing for election are as follows: Bonnie Prince Bob, Independent Derrick Emms, Independent Lukasz Furmaniak, Scottish Libertarian Party Mark Hooley, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Richard Crewe Lucas, Scottish Family Party Q Manivannan, Scottish Greens Kevin Joseph McKay, Scottish Liberal Democrats Catriona Munro, Scottish Labour Party Gary Neill, Reform UK Mark Rowbotham, Independent Murray Visentin, Scottish National Party (SNP) Steve Christopher West, Independent Marc Wilkinson, Independent Council Ward 9 Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart The ward stretches from Haymarket west to Colinton Dell. It is as diverse as most others in the city and includes part of the Union Canal, Easter Craiglockhart Hill Local Nature Reserve and the main campus for Edinburgh Napier University. In 2022 at the Local Government election the electorate was 18,284 and there was a 49.8% turnout. Three councillors were elected – Cllr David Key (SNP), Cllr Christopher Cowdy (Conservative) and Cllr Val Walker (Labour). We have interviewed some of the candidates either online or face to face – but here is a breakdown of what we know about all 13 in alphabetical order: Bonnie Prince Bob, Independent Bob is a serial candidate in Edinburgh. He stood in the last two by-elections in Colinton/Fairmilehead. In the last by-election he gathered support from 30 voters in the ward which has an electorate of 19,669. He also stood in the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary election where he lost to Angus Robertson MSP who won the Edinburgh Central seat with 16,276 votes. Bob won 363 votes on that occasion which was 0.9% of the poll. He describes himself as a 'professional political commentator /producer & presenter of #What the X Scotland's most dynamic livestream' and encourages voters to 'Stop electing party political parasites'. Click here to see his social media presence on X. You can watch the unboxing of his campaign leaflets here: Bonnie Prince Bob an Independent candidate in Edinburgh Central with Lady A and Lady B ©2021 The Edinburgh Reporter Derrick Emms, Independent Derrick Emms is an independent candidate who is standing in a loose coalition with two of the other 13 candidates, Marc Wilkinson and Mark Rowbotham (see below). He encourages voters not to elect politicians but rather to elect a team. So if you vote for Mr Emms then the three would work together. He said in a statement to voters: 'Let's set aside party-political differences and come together.' While Wilkinson is declared to be the front-runner, Derrick Emms said he would hold twice weekly surgeries open to all – on Fridays and Saturdays in Fountainbridge Library. He would have the help of the other two independent candidates as 'case workers'. His statement continues: 'Our plan is to come 4th in the twelve wards that elect four Councillors and 3rd in the five wards that elect three. Seventeen Councillors would make us the largest party in the City Chambers as we would have taken these seats from the current five parties. At our surgeries we will represent constituents from all of Edinburgh's Wards. We will help constituents coordinate with each other to lobby their respective Councillors as a team making them more effective. We will make the petition feature on our website which is designed for petitioning elected representatives available. This will transform representative democracy.' Lukasz Furmaniak, Scottish Libertarian Party Lukasz Furmaniak is Polish and has been in the UK for 14 years. He used to work in hospitality but is now a private hire car driver. He wants politics to 'come back to common sense'. He is most exercised by planters which impede progress for drivers on the city's streets. He said: 'We believe that people should decide for themselves if they want to use the cars or not. If they want to use the bus, we are very happy they use the buses. If they want to walk or cycle, we're very happy when they do that. But at the end of the day, it should be their own choice, not imposed by the overlords.' He continued: 'What I believe is that it's time for us to review all the rules and make them simplified, easier to follow 'We all can see there's road works everywhere all year around. Charlotte Square was like that five times last year – closed for a stretch of 200 yards. 'Corstorphine Road – four times in 15 months it was closed again. And there's all the potholes and everything. Why are all the jobs not done in one go? I don't really understand that.' But he would do nothing to affect public libraries or schools saying 'I believe in all this spending – libraries are probably the best choice we can have'. But most of all it is about common sense. He said: 'The biggest thing I'm campaigning on is just come back to common sense – as simple as that. Stop doubling down on the ideas that don't really work and don't help anyone, but they are just, I guess, a vanity project of the councillors. Just to come back to actually sorting the problems rather than creating a new one.' Libertarians have little time for rules. Instead the party is in favour of individual liberty, a free and sound economy, foreign neutrality and political independence. The Scottish Libertarian Party holds a social event every second Sunday. Mark Hooley, Scottish Conservative and Unionist For Mark Hooley a local who has lived in the area for the past ten years, it is all about 'the basics'. He said: 'The theme of the campaign is back to basics. You probably hear going around really popular is fixing the roads, the potholes, you know, the bin collections, but these sort of basics, the weeding, it's just really the theme is kind of the council sometimes forgetting to do the basics for the residents that live here. you know, if some people, they maybe don't understand why. He said: 'There's money to do trams and everything, but the day-to-day basics are getting missed. It is no wonder that people have a bit of disillusionment when they see that. There is usually a bit less of a turnout during by-elections, but I would say there has been a little bit of apathy in vernal about politics.' He explained that he has always loved politics – his father was an SNP supporter. He grew up in the Parkgrove area of the city, studied politics in Dundee and then lived in the US and in Holland. Currently he is studying for a MSc in Journalism at Edinburgh Napier University, and he ran as a Conservative candidate in the Sighthill/Gorgie ward in the 2022 council elections when he attracted 986 first preference votes. He said that he is not a career politician, just 'a regular guy who wants to get involved and is passionate about it'. Reflecting on the lower number of Conservative councillors at the City Chambers after the 2022 election he said that a win here would help to 'chip away' to get back to where the council group was before. He was complimentary to Conservative councillor, Christopher Cowdy who represents the Fountainbruidge/Craiglockhart ward along with SNP councillor, David Key, saying: 'Chris Cowdy is one of the councillors for the ward currently. He's very visible, very vocal, he's very well liked and trusted in the area and known as someone who can get things done and is very responsive. So I would be looking to work together with him and to really reflect residents concerns and the day-to-day stuff.' @edinreporter Mark Hooley is the Scottish Conservative candidate in the June 2025 council by-election in Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart Here he explains a bit of his personal background to the Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter. #edinburghnews #edinburghlocalnews #hyperlocalnews #councilbyelection ♬ original sound – EdinReporter Mark Hooley centre with his Conservative supporters out campaigning PHOTO courtesy of Miles Briggs Richard Crewe Lucas, Scottish Family Party Richard Lucas is the Scottish Family Party candidate who has stood at a range of elections in the past few years. He stood in the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward in the 2022 council elections when he achieved 65 votes – and got the same number of votes in January 2025. Mr Lucas hs lived in Colinton for over 25 years, teaching at Merchiston Castle School for most of that time. The party values are: 'Families are the building blocks of a healthy society. The government's job is to support and encourage stable family life, for the sake of children, adults and the wider society.' The party promotes marriage as the best way to lay the foundation for society – but only heterosexual marriage. 'The commitment of marriage helps ensure that a child benefits from the distinct and complementary parenting of their mother and father, a male and female role model in the family home, and the sense of identity that naturally flows from relatedness.' They do not believe in same sex marriage as it does not embody these ideals. Richard Lucas Scottish Family Party candidate Q Manivannan, Scottish Greens Q Manivannan is from the Tamil community and was born in India in 1997, making their home in Scotland since 2021. Q has worked in the United Nations, in trade unions, voluntary organisations, and as an award-winning scholar in universities. Q has won the Kavya Prize for Scottish writers of colour in 2023 and co-convenes the Palestine Solidarity Group for the Scottish Greens. Q said that as an academic at St Andrews University and as a policy expert they have experience of community organising. Projects which they have supported include road safety, pedestrian crossings and tenants rights. Q plans to focus on stricter speed limits and improved infrastructure for disability access if elected. Attracted to the Green Party by its focus on individual expression and environmental conservation, other matters of importance to them include voter transparency and inclusion. Q said: 'My main principles have been around building more inclusive governance structures, particularly ones where residents and voters are more involved with democratic processes from the get go and through different stages of policies and motions. But at the same time, focusing on the very local issues I know we've had in our area, like resident safety alongside along alongside the canal path, for instance, or traffic and road safety along Ashley Terrace where the pedestrian crosssing has been overdue there for 20 years, Harrison Road and Yeamen Place. Lastly of course preserving our green and blue spaces because it feels like a fair few spaces around the city as well as in our ward are under threat.' In relation to some matters these could be solved more easily with a collaborative approach. Q said: 'I think it's also important that issues like road safety as well as tenants rights are across parties. I feel like they're more logistical concerns regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum. I think Cllr Val Walker was excellent in that sense almost removing the more dramatic politics out of it and focussing on the local issues and communities.' Q is involved with fundraising for Palestine running a music and culture event each month in Marchmont. Through that organisation they have been able to help local businesses having troubles with the council about tables and chairs placed outside. Q said: 'It was good to work with them to find solutions to that.' Q has also been part of the activism around pensions and pay cuts for tutors and paid staff members in St Andrews and Edinburgh. At the end of the interview Q said : 'I would begin with bette infrastructural changes and audits for disability as well as mobility. There's been a lot of concerns raised around roads as well as on the Canal Path and other parts of Fountainbridge /Craiglockhrt not being accessible, whether it's for the elderly or it's for pram pushers. I think, is a significant concern that leads to other safety issues, and that would be right on top of my to do list to begin with.' Q Manivannan Kevin Joseph McKay, Scottish Liberal Democrats The Scottish Liberal Democrats announced Mr McKay as their candidate in May like this: 'An environmental campaigner, Kevin spent a career tackling pollution issues in the water industry. If elected, he would join a City Chambers Lib Dem team fighting for road safety, investment in schools, and fixing our pavements and roads!' Catriona Munro, Scottish Labour Party Catriona Munro Labour candidate Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart Catriona Munro has been a lawyer for the last 30 years, most recently a competition lawyer. Now that retirement is fast approaching she is looking to be an elected member of the council. Ms Munro explained that her parents were lifelong activists for the Labour Party, and she was born on an election day when her father was a Westminster candidate. He didn't ever get elected but she said: 'I feel as though I'm an election baby. I've always loved elections and I relish campaigning. It's great fun.' Brought up in Brussels, Ms Munro said she doesn't have a strong Scottish accent, but she lives in the city. Asked what she is campaigning on she replied: 'People are concerned about the very basic things, that the potholes are very annoying, that there are lots of issues around parking. People raise questions over access to new developments. I had someone who who is concerned about their their road becoming busy because it was going to be used to access a new development. 'Now, of course, we need new housing, but we also need to respect people's views and then other people concerned about the introduction of controlled parking zones. So it's welcome to some people, but not to others, and it's a question of making sure that those voices are all heard and that the most appropriate way of introducing those controlled parking zones is used.' She cited the positive contribution and local impact of two Labour councillors elected in 2022 – Cllr Scott Arthur and Cllr Val Walker. The usual topics of ootholes, parking issues and underfunding all came up during our interview when she explained the difference Cllr Walker made in securing funding for DanceBase. Ms Munro agreed that Cllr Walker will be a hard act to follow, but she thinks she could fill her shoes. She said that many local people had met Cllr Walker during her short time as a councillor – and some people in the area had met Val several times – often in their homes – about their issues. Catriona said: 'It is good to know that work on the ground really makes a difference, that people notice it. You're right these are big shoes to fill but I think it means the groundwork of having a well-liked councillor has been done.' Gary Neill, Reform UK Gary Neill Reform UK candidate Gary Neill is the Reform UK candidate standing in this by-election. The grandfather from Northern Ireland said he is standing for the sake of his grandchildren. He explained: 'I've been a member of Reform for about three years. I've been a Tory voter all my life, but the last lot of years, it's got very disenchanting. 'The biggest thing we need to take control of is the amount of money that we spend and the amount of tax that we raise. This country has been borrowing month on month, year on year. And we are rolling up the most enormous debt for our grandchildren to deal with. So that's what drives me.' Asked what he would seek to influence in the council he said it was simple: 'We need to start looking at the way The City of Edinburgh Council is run. Even in my short term, and exposure to the statistics and there is in your face waste.' He suggests selling off any council-owned buildings and land which are not required or used, and is vocal in his campaign leaflet about the 'state of Edinburgh roads'. He said: 'I'm in and out of Edinburgh Airport quite a bit and honest to goodness taking people back into the centre of town your back is put out with the state of the roads.' He said that he has had a career in sales, has travelled the world and is now retired. He feels that his experience can now be put to use. He said: 'My entire time has been in the commercial sector, in the private sector, where it is very competitive, very tough. But, I think I can use that in the public sector. And I'm fortunate that I have the time to pursue this – and I feel quite driven to do so.' Finally he is incensed that the council should only be concerned about local matters. He said that in a previous set of council papers from March there were motions about Palestine and Gaza – 'not one of them anything to do with Edinburgh'. He said: 'I think our elected representatives, of which I hope to be one, should actually concentrate and focus on running the city without getting involved in stuff they have no knowledge of. It might even be said that it's virtue signalling to look good in front of their people. I don't know, I don't care. It's nothing to do with running Edinburgh.' He is new to politics and says he has quickly learned that the electorate is very fickle. He said: 'They'll tell you one thing and they'll do something else. We learned that just last month at Hamilton where a lot of volunteers for Reform were helping the excellent candidate that we have, Ross Lambie. The media didn't say it, but they knew it was a two horse race, the SNP and Reform. We knew it was a two horse race. Yeah. Yeah. And then bang out of nowhere comes Labour and it flummoxed all of us.' Mr Neill has been out twice daily in the ward with his supporters visiting as many people as possible in the ward. He said: 'As much as Reform is enjoying a fairly high profile nationally, we've got to try and make that a local message, I feel pretty good about it. It;s a good challenge and I'm enjoying it.' Gary Neill is the @ candidate for the council by-election in Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart. Here he outlines just one way he thinks the council could do better — The Edinburgh Reporter (@ 2025-06-22T12:52:45.692Z Mark Rowbotham, Independent Mr Rowbotham is standing as an independent candidate in collaboration with Marc Wilkinson and Derrick Emms. HIs stance is the same as the other two candidates : Don't elect politicians Elect People Elect a Team #1 Marc Wilkinson #2 Mark Rowbotham #3 Derrick Emms… Edinburgh Council By-election, Thursday 26th June 2025, 7am-10pm Everyone in the Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart ward has a reason to vote now Let's set aside party-political differences and come together.' Murray Visentin, Scottish National Party (SNP) Murray Visentin SNP candidate Murray Visentin is manager in Asda Chesser and although a relative newcomer to politics he knows the price of shopping – and said that it is the basics which matter. He explained that the price of milk depends on some variables – whether or not it is branded and according to size. The Visentin household buys the four litre size as it includes Murray, his wife, their four children and two cats. He said his candidacy has been 'a long time coming' but when this possibility came up he jumped at the chance. His support of independence is key and he has been an activist since he was a teenager. He joined the SNP in 2014. He feels he could make a difference in the council and said: 'I'm confident to take people's views on board and talk about them, regardless whether they fall in line with SNP values or anybody else's values. 'Local politics is different from national politics. It's about the people more than the actual polici. Of course, I'm going to vote with the group. I'm going to be an SNP councillor and would huave to do that, but it doesn't mean I can't have a voice for my neighbors and the family members and my friends in the ward as well.' He said that politics for local residents is about more than just the price of shopping. It is also about educaiton and local travel as well as green space. He lives in Hutchison and holds the Hutchison Community Garden up as a model project which along with organised litter picking 'makes a difference in local communities in a big way'. He said: 'I think that it's a svery family orientated ward. You've got a mixed batch of different sort of political affiliations. You've got different sorts of demographics as well that we need to be appealing to and helping. So if you go up to Craiglockhart way you've got more affluent people. It's the day to day things. It's the cost of living for some people. It's education for their kids. It's having a voice for somebody that knows the neighborhood, knows the ward, to be able to go to the council and be in the chambers and say, Look, these are my people. These are the people that need help.' Steve Christopher West, Independent Steve West is a trade union activist in the PCS civil service workers' union. He describes himself as an independent socialist and told The Socialist Worker that he is campaigning against the £2.2 million cuts proposed by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board. He said: 'There has to be someone in this election who is against cuts and racism.' He believes that this cut in funding would result in '200 compulsory redundancies and cuts to valuable services'. He said he will stand 'against austerity', against attacks on benefits and against attacks on trans+ rights. He is using TikTok as a way of getting his election message out to voters. His latest video has a simple message – 'No to cuts, end austerity, tax the rich, fund public services migrants are not to blame,, no to racism welfare not warfare, end the genocide, Free Palestine – for a real left alternative vote for me, Steve West.' Marc Wilkinson, Independent Marc is also someone who has stood in the last two council by-elections as well as three others. He has created his own 'party' called Edinburgh and East Lothian People although he is standing as an Independent candidate. He wants everyone in the ward to have a reason to vote, and believes that he can fix party politics by stopping the party whip and allowing elected politicians to have a free vote. He explains that he grew his vote share in the January 2025 by-election when 494 people supported him. He said this was a +79% increase in vote share compared to the November by-election. He is leader of Edinburgh and East Lothian People as well as seven other new parties in other areas of Scotland. and claims that this could mean that the party would return one MSP in each region if the party attracts just 6% of the vote. He would work alongside Derrick Emms and Mark Rowbotham to represent the constituency. Like this: Like Related

BBC News

2 hours ago

• BBC News

'No budget' for assisted dying service, health secretary says

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said there is no budget for an assisted dying service, which MPs narrowly backed in a landmark vote on who was one of the most senior opponents of the legislation, posted a lengthy message on his Facebook page explaining why he voted against the other reasons, he said there was already a lack of access to high quality end-of-life care on top of tightened finances within the NHS, which could add to the pressure faced by dying patients. Streeting said he would "make sure that we do a good job with it for the country" if the legislation becomes law, but he worried MPs had made the wrong choice. The government remains neutral on the bill, which cleared the Commons with a majority of 23 votes on Friday and will now be scrutinised by the House of Lords. MPs were given a free vote on in favour of the bill say it will give terminally ill adults the choice on how they want to die and prevent painful deaths, but critics argue it risks people being coerced into seeking an assisted his post, Streeting quoted former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown's position that "there is no effective freedom to choose if the alternative option... is not available", referring to sufficient end-of-life care wrote: "The truth is that creating those conditions will take time and money. "Even with the savings that might come from assisted dying if people take up the service - and it feels uncomfortable talking about savings in this context to be honest - setting up this service will also take time and money that is in short supply. "There isn't a budget for this. Politics is about prioritising. It is a daily series of choices and trade-offs. I fear we've made the wrong one."The MP for Ilford North pledged to work "constructively" on technical aspects of the legislation as it progresses through Parliament and stressed he had enormous respect for the bill's impact assessment on the policy published in May provided a financial analysis of the costs and savings said that in the first six months, savings for the NHS could range from around £919,000 to £ figure included hospital care, primary and community care, hospice, medicines and other care costs that someone choosing an assisted death would not the time the system had been running for ten years, savings could range from £5.84m to £ assessment found there would be costs too. Staffing an assisted dying service could cost in excess of £10m a year within a decade, while training costs in the first six months alone could be over £11m. As peers prepare to examine the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, assisted dying campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday that Lords had a duty to perform but that it should not extend to overturning the will of the Commons."Their job is to scrutinise, to ask questions, but not to oppose," she said."So yes, people who are adamantly opposed to this Bill, and they have a perfect right to oppose it, will try and stop it going through the Lords, but the Lords themselves, their duty is to make sure that law is actually created by the elected chamber, which is the House of Commons who have voted this through."Dame Esther said she was resigned to the fact her own terminal cancer would probably progress to the point she will "buzz off to Zurich" to use the Dignitas clinic before the bill becomes Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, a Paralympian and opponent of the plans, told BBC Breakfast she hoped more safeguards could be introduced in the coming months."We're getting ready for it to come to the Lords and from my personal point of view, about amending it to make it stronger," she said."We've been told it's the strongest bill in the world, but to be honest, it's not a very high bar for other legislation, so I do think there are a lot more safeguards that could be put in."Another opponent, the Conservative peer and disability rights campaigner Lord Shinkwin, said he believed the bill needed "forensic scrutiny". "The margin yesterday was so close that many MPs would appreciate the opportunity to look at this again in respect of safeguards as they relate to those who feel vulnerable, whether that's disabled people or older people," he bill could still run out of parliamentary time if it is held up in the Lords, but the Labour MP who steered it through the Commons as a Private Member's Bill, Kim Leadbeater, said: "I would be upset to think that anybody was playing games with such an important and such an emotional issue". Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.