Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he will abstain in the parliamentary vote on a proposed assisted dying law next month. The decision comes ahead of the House of Commons debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, following the bill’s earlier failure to progress when Parliament ran out of time.
The bill is due to return to the House of Commons in September for consideration by MPs. The Evening Standard and other outlets report it will be debated and voted on after the House reconvenes, with one specific date given as September 11. The Mirror notes that Burnham has previously voiced doubts about the measure, saying palliative and social care should be improved first.
Across the reports, outlets focus on the same core points: Burnham will abstain rather than support or oppose the bill; the bill is scheduled for a Commons debate in September; and the broader context includes the previous session’s timetable running out, leaving the legislation to be taken up again.
