---
title: "Assisted dying, a divided Britain and Russell Brand"
date: 2026-04-29T09:14:00+01:00
author: Zanna Meynell
canonical_url: "https://www.eauk.org/resources/our-resources/videos-and-podcasts/cross-section/assisted-dying-a-divided-britain-and-russell-brand"
section: Pages
---
[    ![CS Ep 111 Thumbnail A 34](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E)  ![CS Ep 111 Thumbnail A 34](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E)   

## Assisted dying, a divided Britain and Russell Brand

### Watch Cross Section here

 

 

 ](#%0A%09%09%09)

 

 

 

 

  In this week’s episode of Cross Section, the team discuss the stopped assisted suicide bill. How has this happened? Could a similar bill come into the next parliamentary system? The team discuss the likelihood of assisted suicide returning and the fact that even if it doesn’t return as a political conversation, it is still a cultural one. They also reflect on the church’s role in talking about the value of life.

The conversation then widens to political polarisation, governance and social cohesion. How can Christians engage and speak into our fractured political climate?

This leads into a chat about street preaching and two cases that have hit the headlines – an abortion buffer zone case in Northern Ireland and the Bread of Life Church in Essex.

The episode ends with a news roundup including Russell Brand’s viral interview with Piers Morgan in which he struggled to find Isaiah and reflections on political violence considering the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

 

 

  #### Further reading

 

  [Our policy advisor, Mark Gilmore, explains more about the assisted suicide bill.](https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/is-the-assisted-suicide-bill-finished)

[Zanna’s article on the ​‘femosphere’ and how Christians can respond](https://open.substack.com/pub/zannameynell/p/from-the-femosphere-to-raye-navigating?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer)

 

 

  #### Chapters:

 

  00:00 Introduction  
 01:12 Why the assisted suicide bill ran out of time  
03:12 Democracy and drafting legislation  
09:00 Will it return?  
 13:17 Church response and cultural impact  
17:10 Polarisation and political health  
 21:00 Street preaching legal cases  
 28:48 Gospel freedom and wise witness  
31:19 News roundup  
35:42 Closing encouragement