London mayor Sadiq Khan’s political ally, Labour MP (and former senior minister) Nick Burnham, says he will sit out a new parliamentary vote on legalising assisted dying. In a letter to members of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) ahead of the next attempt, he says the approach is intended to avoid influencing fellow MPs and to give them space to decide for themselves.
Burnham’s position also includes a call for ministers to remain neutral in the debate. While the outlets report the same basic message—that he will not participate in the vote and urges non-partisan treatment from government—coverage focuses on his rationale for stepping back rather than providing further detail on the bill’s provisions or the timing of the vote.
