PM: Fix Care Funding Before Assisted Dying Debate

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared that the funding for palliative and social care requires resolution before any parliamentary debate on assisted dying can take place. This marks the first time Mr Burnham has articulated his position on the matter since assuming the role of prime minister, as MPs prepare to revisit the subject when Parliament reconvenes in September.

The government is expected to maintain official neutrality on the issue. However, Mr Burnham's comments suggest he will not personally endorse a bill being brought forward by Labour MP Lauren Edwards. This stance represents a departure from that of former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who had previously voted in favour of legalising assisted dying and facilitated parliamentary discussions on the topic.

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Concerns Over Care Provision

Mr Burnham told reporters that while he does not preclude a future debate on assisted dying, he believes a prerequisite is the "fixing of the funding of palliative care and social care." He expressed that initiating a broader discussion is difficult when individuals are not receiving adequate care and lack peace of mind regarding their support.

In 2025, a bill proposed by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater to legalise assisted dying received a favourable vote from MPs. However, the bill did not pass the House of Lords. An extensive number of proposed amendments led to delays, causing the bill to run out of time in April of this year. Opponents of the bill raised concerns about potential flaws that could put vulnerable individuals at risk of being pressured into ending their lives prematurely.

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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill would have permitted individuals aged 18 and over, with a prognosis of six months or less to live, to receive assistance in ending their life, subject to specific safeguards. Labour MP Lauren Edwards intends to introduce an identical bill to continue the legislative effort.

Shifting Personal Stance

Mr Burnham's remarks coincide with his announcement of plans to reform the social care system, aiming to establish a national care service and achieve political agreement on its funding. In 2024, prior to the initial House of Commons vote on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, Mr Burnham stated to BBC Manchester that he would "probably vote in favour of it" if he were a sitting MP. He had previously abstained from a 2015 vote on a similar bill due to reservations about safeguards and the potential for people to feel pressured. However, he informed the BBC in 2024 that "family experience in the nine years since has changed my view," adding that "we do allow people to suffer and families to suffer too much."

He qualified his support for the principle of assisted dying by stressing the need for hospices to be "properly funded and sorted out" before any new law is implemented.