Burnham to abstain from assisted dying vote as MPs given ‘genuinely free vote’

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will abstain when MPs vote on assisted dying next month, saying he does not want his position as Prime Minister to influence one of Parliament’s most sensitive debates.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is due to return to the House of Commons for its second reading on 11 September, when MPs will again consider proposals to legalise assisted dying for some terminally ill adults in England and Wales.

In a letter to Labour MPs, Burnham confirmed that the Government will remain neutral on the legislation and said MPs must be given the space to reach their own conclusions according to their conscience and personal experiences.

Burnham said he has his own personal views on assisted dying but believes his responsibility as Prime Minister is to implement whatever Parliament ultimately decides, whether that results in a change to the law or the existing position remaining in place.

He said he did not want to “unduly influence the debate” and wanted every MP to know that the decision would be a “genuinely free vote”.

Burnham has also written separately to ministers, confirming that collective responsibility will be set aside on the issue. Ministers will therefore be free to vote in favour, vote against or abstain.

However, he has asked ministers to avoid using their government positions to influence the wider debate, including through media appearances and social media.

The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales who have fewer than six months to live to apply for assistance to end their lives, subject to safeguards including assessments by two doctors and approval from an expert panel.

The latest Bill has been introduced by Labour MP Lauren Edwards after an earlier version, brought forward by Kim Leadbeater, ran out of parliamentary time during the previous session.

That legislation had already passed through the House of Commons, although support narrowed as parliamentary scrutiny progressed. MPs backed it by 330 votes to 275 at second reading in November 2024, before approving it by 314 votes to 291 at third reading in June 2025.

It subsequently progressed to the House of Lords but failed to complete its parliamentary stages before the end of the session.

Burnham’s decision to abstain is particularly notable because he has previously indicated support for assisted dying in principle while also expressing concerns about the state of palliative and social care.

Speaking in July, he argued that funding for both services needed to be addressed before assisted dying was introduced, warning that it was difficult to have the debate when some people approaching the end of their lives could not be confident they would receive the care they needed.

Supporters of assisted dying argue that terminally ill adults who meet strict eligibility requirements should have greater choice and control at the end of their lives. Opponents have raised concerns about safeguards, the protection of vulnerable people and the potential implications for health, social and palliative care.

Edwards has argued that improving palliative care and providing greater choice for terminally ill people should not be treated as competing objectives and can be pursued alongside one another.

She welcomed Burnham’s decision to maintain government neutrality and said people’s personal experiences of terminal illness were central to the debate.

The vote on 11 September will now reopen a debate which has already prompted deeply held views on both sides of Parliament and across health, care and palliative care services.

By choosing not to cast a vote himself, Burnham has sought to make clear that the Government will not determine the outcome, leaving MPs to decide individually whether one of the most significant proposed changes to end-of-life law in England and Wales should progress.

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