Prime Minister to Abstain from Assisted Dying Vote
Andy Burnham warns ministers against influencing September 11 House of Commons vote on Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Carla Rooney
Prime Minister Andy Burnham will abstain from the upcoming vote on legislation to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales.
Burnham warned his ministers against influencing the outcome, stating, "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."
He added, "For these reasons, I have taken the decision that it is most appropriate for me not to vote at second reading." No 10 officials claim the Prime Minister has no wish to affect the process in either direction, aiming for MPs to reach their own collective view.
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.
David Wilcock, Deputy Political Editor, claims Andy Burnham will sit out the new vote to avoid influencing MPs, having previously warned ministers the Government should be neutral.
Burnham acknowledged his personal views on the issue, but clarified his role, stating, "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."
The Prime Minister previously suggested that palliative and social care funding should be fixed before legalising assisted dying, stating, "I take the view that that debate – and I don't say that there shouldn't be a debate at some point about those issues – personally, I think there's something that needs to happen first."
I take the view that that debate – and I don't say that there shouldn't be a debate at some point about those issues – personally, I think there's something that needs to happen first. That is the fixing of the funding of palliative care and social care. I think it is very challenging to introduce that wider debate in a context of people not receiving that care and having the peace of mind about that care.
Andy Burnham continued, "That is the fixing of the funding of palliative care and social care. I think it is very challenging to introduce that wider debate in a context of people not receiving that care and having the peace of mind about that care."
The Bill previously fell in the House of Lords in April after peers reportedly tabled hundreds of amendments and were accused of effectively talking it out.
When Labour MP Kim Leadbeater first brought forward the Bill in 2024 as a Private Member's Bill, then Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer voted for it.
The Bill passed two votes in the House of Commons, with the majority narrowing from 55 to 23 in the second vote in 2025.
However, Wes Streeting, as health secretary last year, voted against the Bill.