Andy Burnham to abstain on assisted dying Bill ahead of Commons vote
Andy Burnham says he will abstain from the next Commons vote on the assisted dying Bill, arguing that the Prime Minister should not influence what is intended to be a free vote for MPs. The move maintains the Government’s neutral position on whether the law should change.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill returns to the Commons on 11 September after falling in the Lords in April when time ran out before prorogation. It would let terminally ill adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live seek an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and an expert panel. Burnham has said palliative and social care funding should be improved first, while supporter Lauren Edwards says better care and greater end-of-life choice can proceed together.
- Burnham will abstain to preserve a free Commons vote.
- The assisted dying Bill returns on 11 September.
- The proposal applies to terminally ill adults in England and Wales.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the Bill argue that mentally capable adults facing terminal illness and a short prognosis should be able to choose the timing and manner of their death, subject to safeguards and independent scrutiny. They see this as a matter of dignity and personal autonomy, and say improving palliative and social care can happen alongside offering another option at the end of life.
The case against
Opponents argue that legalising assisted dying could put pressure, direct or indirect, on people who are ill, disabled or dependent on others to feel they are a burden, and that safeguards may not remove that risk. They say palliative and social care should be properly funded and accessible first, so people are not choosing death because adequate support or relief from suffering is unavailable.