Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated that he will not personally support a renewed parliamentary effort to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales, emphasizing the need to first reform the nation's palliative and social care systems.
This stance marks a departure from the previous government's approach. Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had voted in favor of a prior attempt to legalize assisted dying and had allocated parliamentary time for its discussion. Burnham's comments suggest a personal opposition to a bill expected to be introduced by Labour MP Lauren Edwards when Parliament reconvenes in September.
"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," Burnham told reporters. "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."
Burnham's remarks coincide with the government's announcement of plans to reform the social care system, aiming to establish a national care service and achieve political consensus on its funding.
In 2025, MPs had voted in favor of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, proposed by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, which would have permitted individuals over 18 expected to die within six months to receive assistance in ending their lives, subject to safeguards. However, the bill did not pass the House of Lords due to numerous proposed amendments that ultimately caused it to run out of time in April of this year. Opponents of the bill had voiced concerns about potential flaws that could endanger vulnerable individuals, risking pressure to end their lives prematurely.
Lauren Edwards intends to introduce an identical bill to continue the legislative effort.
Burnham's position on assisted dying has evolved. In 2024, he told BBC Manchester that he would likely vote in favor of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill if he were in Parliament. He had previously abstained from a 2015 vote on a similar bill, citing concerns about safeguards and the potential for individuals to feel pressured. However, he stated in 2024 that family experiences over the subsequent nine years had altered his perspective, leading him to believe that "we do allow people to suffer and families to suffer too much." He has consistently maintained that any new legislation must ensure hospices are "properly funded and sorted out" before implementation.