Andy Burnham has stated that the assisted dying debate must be postponed until palliative care and social care are adequately funded and reformed. During a visit to a care home in north London on Wednesday, the prime minister emphasised that introducing assisted dying legislation would be "very challenging" without first fixing the care system.
Burnham's stance on assisted dying
Burnham, who previously abstained from a 2015 vote on assisted dying due to concerns over safeguards, has shifted his position after personal experience with his father Roy, who had dementia. In 2024, he expressed support for the principle of assisted dying but insisted on proper hospice funding before implementation. Now, he argues that the priority should be improving end-of-life support, including palliative and social care.
"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 – personally, I think there's something that needs to happen first," Burnham told reporters. "That is 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."
Social care reform plans
Burnham's comments came during a major speech on social care reform, an issue he has repeatedly said he is ready to expend political capital on. He indicated that his plan may require tax rises, though integrating the NHS and care system more efficiently could help initially. He repeated his promise to stick to Labour's manifesto on tax for this parliament.
"I think more is possible from within existing resources. And the things that I've talked about today, particularly around the workforce, will be fully funded," he said. "Some of what we would want to [do] in the fullest sense will require difficult decisions … But we will be honest with people about those."
Burnham noted that life has "moved on" since his 2010 attempts at social care reform as health secretary under Gordon Brown, when options included a 10% levy on inheritances. He suggested a "more voluntary approach" may work better now. He has invited the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats for talks in Downing Street to find common ground, accepting that compromises may be necessary.
Protecting assets and cross-party consensus
Burnham expressed that in an ideal world, nobody would have to sell their home to pay for care. His 2010 proposals aimed to address this by having everyone contribute a little, protecting most of what families worked for. "I think the whole thing is horrendous for those who live through it. They see everything that their parents have worked for just whittled away in front of them, paying for care that often isn't good enough," he said.
He urged for a factual debate on social care, free from sensationalism. "On this issue, please can we have a factual debate? Can we allow people to weigh up the different options … and then just come to a considered view based on those facts?"
Upcoming reviews and appointments
Burnham announced that Louise Casey will bring forward her independent review into social care options by a year, to summer 2027. A fair pay agreement for care staff will begin bringing the sector closer to NHS standards. Additionally, Health Secretary Yvette Cooper will appoint a dementia tsar this summer.
