Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he intends to abstain from the upcoming vote on proposed legislation to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales.
He said he does not want to “unduly influence the debate” in his role as Prime Minister and has therefore decided it is “most appropriate” for him not to cast a vote next month.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which ran out of time in Parliament’s last session, is due back in the House of Commons on September 11.
The Bill proposes allowing adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death subject to the approval of two doctors and an expert panel.
In a letter to the Parliamentary Labour Party, he wrote: “I, of course, have my own personal views on the issue.
“However, I am also clear that this is a matter for Parliament to decide and my role, as the Prime Minister, will be to lead a Government that implements the will of Parliament in this area – whether that is to change the law or not.
“I also do not want to unduly influence the debate as Prime Minister and for every colleague to know it is a genuinely free vote. For these reasons, I have taken the decision that it is most appropriate for me not to vote at second reading.”
