British premier says social care should be fixed before assisted dying debate

Speaking about the issue at Number 10 North in Manchester, Burnham said he believed those services should be fixed before parliament considers changes to the law on assisted dying.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed the House of Commons under Keir Starmer in June 2025 as a private member’s bill, rather than government policy, but did not complete its stages in the House of Lords before the parliamentary session ended.

The bill was reintroduced by Labour lawmaker Lauren Edwards in June, with its second reading scheduled for Sept. 11.

Asked about his position, Burnham said he believed there should be a debate on assisted dying at some stage but argued that other issues should take priority.

"I take the view that that debate – and I don't say that there shouldn't be a debate at some point about those issues," he said.

"Personally, I think there's something that needs to happen first, and that's the fixing of the funding of palliative care and social care.

"I think it is very challenging to introduce that wider debate in a context of people not receiving that care and having the peace of mind about that care.

"And that's the way I kind of see this, and that's the position that I will stick to."