Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will abstain from the vote on proposed legislation to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which ran out of time in Parliament's last session, is due back in the House of Commons on September 11.
The Bill proposes allowing adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death, subject to the approval of two doctors and an expert panel.
Prime Minister's Stance
Mr Burnham, who became an MP in June's Makerfield by-election, said he does not want to 'unduly influence the debate' in his role as Prime Minister. He added that it is 'most appropriate' for him not to cast a vote next month.
In a letter to the Parliamentary Labour Party, the Prime Minister wrote: “I, of course, have my own personal views on the issue.
“However, I am also clear that this is a matter for Parliament to decide and my role, as the Prime Minister, will be to lead a Government that implements the will of Parliament in this area – whether that is to change the law or not.
“I also do not want to unduly influence the debate as Prime Minister and for every colleague to know it is a genuinely free vote. For these reasons, I have taken the decision that it is most appropriate for me not to vote at second reading.”
Government Neutrality
He also warned ministers to 'avoid being part of the public debate, and should not express views about the implications of the Bill for their department’s responsibilities”.
Mr Burnham added in the letter that the government 'remains neutral on the question of assisted dying and on the passage of the Bill'. He said whether the law should change 'is a matter for Parliament'.
Bill's History
The bill was first introduced in late 2024 by Kim Leadbeater and has been taken on by Labour MP Lauren Edwards, after it ran out of time in the last session of Parliament earlier this year.
The Bill passed two votes in the House of Commons but fell in the House of Lords after peers tabled hundreds of amendments and were accused of effectively talking it out.
For the Bill to be voted down in the Commons, at least 12 MPs who voted “yes” last time around would have to switch their vote to “no”, with all other MPs voting the same way they did previously, including abstentions.
