Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the assisted dying debate must wait until palliative care and social care are properly funded, arguing it would be “very challenging” to introduce the legislation while the care system remains inadequate. Speaking at a care home in north London during a speech on social care reform, he said improving end-of-life support should take priority.
Mr Burnham, who previously said he would probably vote in favour of a private member’s bill on assisted dying, now believes that fixing the funding of palliative and social care must come first. He noted his own change of heart after his father spent time in a care home with dementia, saying he thought people are allowed to suffer too much, but he insisted that any new law would require hospices to be “properly funded and sorted out”.
His caution may give some Labour MPs pause before the latest assisted dying bill, sponsored by Lauren Edwards, is put to a vote in September. Jess Asato, a vocal opponent, said many shared the Prime Minister’s concerns about the practical implications. Some MPs who backed a previous version of the bill have also expressed unease about reopening divisions in the party.
On social care, Mr Burnham indicated that his plan would probably require tax rises, although he said more could be achieved with existing resources through better integration with the NHS. He suggested that a “more voluntary approach” might work better than the proposals he put forward as health secretary in 2010, which included a levy on inheritances.
Mr Burnham has invited the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to talks in Downing Street to seek a cross-party consensus, saying he accepted the need to make compromises. He repeated his commitment to Labour’s manifesto pledge on tax for this parliament.
