The MP for Peterborough, Andrew Pakes, has confirmed he will once again vote against the Assisted Dying Bill, while praising Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to allow a free vote on the highly sensitive issue.
Pakes said his original concerns regarding the legislation remain unchanged, calling for Parliament to shift its focus towards funding end-of-life care.
“I respect the PM for this. This isn’t a party vote. I will be voting against again next month. My concerns about the bill still stand. It’s time to move on and focus on things we all agree on like improving palliative care.”
Government maintains neutrality
Pakes’ comments followed the circulation of a personal minute from 10 Downing Street, in which Prime Minister Andy Burnham formally confirmed that the government will remain officially neutral on the reintroduced Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, recently brought forward by Lauren Edwards MP.
In the letter addressed to all government ministers, the Prime Minister set aside collective responsibility, noting that parliamentarians will hold understandably different views on what is an “incredibly important and deeply personal issue.”
Burnham confirmed that ministers “can vote, or abstain, however they wish,” ensuring that members across the House can reach their own conclusions based on their conscience without pressure from the government dispatch box.
Focus on palliative care
The upcoming debate next month is expected to be closely contested. For Pakes and a number of his parliamentary colleagues, the priority remains addressing immediate funding and structural issues within the existing hospice and social care sectors before considering fundamental changes to the law on assisted dying.
